Dissolve
by tx-fictionqueen
Summary: Sheldon slowly digresses into old, destructive habits when his brother, George Jr., comes to visit for the summer. Penny promised Leonard she would look after his roommate when he embarked on his North Sea expedition. But not even she is prepared for the reveal of the darker side of Sheldon Cooper and how it will effect their relationship. *Rated M for sexual content and violence.*
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I feel obligated to disclose that this is my first attempt at a Big Bang fic. And that this thing is gonna get ugly before it gets pretty. Lastly, I do not own any characters or story lines featured in The Big Bang Theory. I'm sick enough to make up my own, thank you. **

**You've been warned on all accounts! Enjoy.**

* * *

_Prologue_.

This world is dangerous.

All the careful calculations in every step he took, every eidetic memory he harbored, and every routine behavior he ever partook in that once comforted him meant shit now. He couldn't pretend that he wasn't a changed man.

Or maybe this was who he had always been? His father's son.

His education, his noted reputation as a child prodigy, his advanced work in the field of physics…what was the point? What weight did his accomplishments acquire if at the end of the day, he was no longer in control of himself?

"Sheldon!"

He clenched and unclenched his fists as the pounding on the metal door rattled his nerves.

"Sheldon, goddamnit, let's go!"

He glanced at the metal door and then he looked longingly away. He didn't want to be here. But, as he tried to explain to her before, some bonds are impossible to dissolve. His past had absorbed him. Now it was beckoning him, and he was doomed to follow.

* * *

_Sixteen years earlier._

Seventeen year-old Sheldon Cooper's blue eyes were pointed up, waiting for an indication that it was safe to move. He grunted quietly to himself as the pilot barely had time to bring the aircraft to rest before Sheldon's fellow passengers were unbuckling their seat belts and rising from their seats. He fought the urge to scream in the midst of chaos. Rules and procedures are set in place for a reason, after all. It would be what these _cretins_ deserve if the plane suddenly jolted forward and they all fell on top of each other, broken and bloody limbs beneath him as he sat safe in his seat. Before his fantasy could go further, the small orange light that gave permission to move around the cabin lit up directly above him. His brow was suddenly sweaty, and he dabbed at it with the sleeve of his jacket as he waited for the plane to fully vacate before getting up and grabbing his overhead carry-on. His knees screamed in protest after the long transatlantic flight he had endured in that seat. He broke into a brisk walk down the runway that connected to the plane to the landing gate at the Scholes International Airport in Galveston, Texas.

He was home for the holidays. The piercing whistle of his dear mother Mary Cooper made Sheldon flinch and turn his face slowly to the left. It was the same cacophonous whistle his mother had reserved for his twin sister Missy's soccer games after she scored a goal, or when his older brother George Jr. wandered off on his own at the mall and Mary put two fingers at the corners of her lips and blew. It was for attention, and Sheldon detested it. He lowered his head and walked toward his mother as she began to flail her arms and when he finally got close enough, he heard her crow in happiness.

"My baby is finally home!" She gathered him in a full-blown bear hug as she mumbled a '_thanks'_ to Jesus. Though Sheldon was still a teenager, he was easily a head taller than his petite mother. He nearly folded in half as she lovingly squeezed his gangly frame in her arms.

"Hi, Mother," Sheldon murmured, his face smashed into Mary's shoulder. He winced until she released him, and he fought the urge to run to the nearest bathroom and wash his face. Sheldon was going through some new phase in his life where his previous dislike for touching others had magnified tenfold, and he always made it a point to carry sanitizing tools on him, such as alcohol-based hand soap, or disinfectant wipes. He was sure his mother wouldn't be pleased to see him react so rashly to her touch, so he resisted for now. "I have everything I need in this carry-on bag, so it is not necessary to stand around and wait any longer. I wish to go home so I can wash up."

"Well, alright then," Mary started, her forehead creasing in confusion. "But sugar, what about clothes? All of your belongings?" She searched her son's face for answers.

"Mother," Sheldon began as he held open the airport door for her to walk through while they walked outside to her parked car. "As I informed you on the phone only 8 days ago, I am not coming home for the entire Christmas break. I will only be here for this weekend. I have too much work to do back at the University…"

"Work? You're seventeen! What kind of business couldn't wait until January?"

Sheldon's eyebrow perched as his mother led the way through the maze of parked cars to find the station wagon. Was his mother really interested in his scientific trials? And how could he, for the lack of a better term, water it down into an explanation she would be able to comprehend? "Well currently, my team and I are attempting to unify quantum mechanics and general relativity into a…"

"Shelly," Mary cut him off as they approached the car. She climbed into the car and leaned over the passenger side to unlock his side while he made a face. Of course she wasn't truly interested. He really had struggled with underlying sarcasm and the double-meaning of conversation between groups and felt it would be a life-long fight to master. Well, his energy was needed elsewhere, anyway. He was, after all, still riding the high of completing his doctorate and did not want to allow the name Dr. Sheldon Cooper to be associated with anything but the unlocked secrets of the universe. He snapped out of his reverie when Mary shifted the old wagon into reverse and slammed on the brakes just as a couple tried to pass behind her. "Well, go!" she urged them loudly as she waited for them to continue walking before completing her reverse and shifted back into drive. "Anyway, you're breaking my heart, Sheldon. I really was looking forward to having you home for the whole month. We all were."

"Your heart is fine, Mother," Sheldon retorted as he watched the familiar businesses and neighborhoods zoom by on either side of the car while his mother drove well over the speed limit. "But mine is racing. Will you slow down, please?" He gripped his knees with both hands until he felt the vehicle slow and risked a look at his mother's forlorn face. His love for her surged as a rare wave of guilt overcame him. "I'm sorry, but my team is counting on me and I can't waste time here when I'm needed back in Germany."

"Wasting time, huh?" Mary asked. It was so hard for her not to take things personally, so Sheldon tried to change the subject.

"Who's at home? Is Meemaw there yet?"

"Yes," Mary answered, her lips pursed. She signaled with her blinker and took a wide turn onto a dirt road that led to Sheldon's childhood home. He relaxed slightly, knowing that the only woman in his life that understood him was only a few miles away. He might not see Meemaw very often, but she actually appreciated the life Sheldon led and never made him feel guilty in between visits to Texas. Who knew a small-town Texas gal like Meemaw whose education topped off in the 8th grade would understand how important Sheldon was to the future of physics? "Missy is away at cheerleader camp for the weekend, which is a shame because she will have missed you by the time she gets back. George Jr. is home, too. He's real excited to see you."

And just like that, Sheldon tensed again. He hadn't seen his brother in almost 6 years, since he first left for college. George Jr., or Junior as he is known around these parts, left home at the ripe age of 16 and had been in and out of juvenile detention up until he turned 19, when he did a six month bid for a DUI charge. Mary Cooper had been adamant after his release that her oldest boy come home and get sober, and to her surprise as well as everyone else's, he complied willingly. Now at the cusp of turning 22, Junior was clean and the apple of Mary's eye.

Sheldon may not come home often, but color him skeptical. George Cooper, Jr. would always be a nuisance who took after their deceased father in terms of causing their mother to cry herself to sleep every night and dry up all her financial savings every time he had the urge to go on a binge. Even at a young age, Sheldon carefully regarded his brother as undesirable company.

Just like his mother promised, Meemaw was there and waiting with open arms to wrap up her favorite grandchild on the front porch. After exchanging some niceties that Sheldon felt would suffice his grandmother and mother for now, he excused himself to the back of the house where he could store his carry-on bag and beeline to the bathroom to wash off. After removing his light jacket (something he should have peeled off the moment the plane landed, because mid-December or not, he was still back in Texas and it was 80 degrees outside) and grimacing at the sweat that coated his body, he walked to the bathroom and attempted to turn the knob.

"Drat," he breathed. The door was locked.

"Hold your horses, Shelly," the gruff voice from within the locked bathroom commanded. Immediately, a sinking feeling caused Sheldon's insides to turn into mush. He wasn't in the least scared of his older brother, but he wasn't sure he was ready for an awkward reunion just yet. His cropped hair was matted to his forehead, and his breath was slightly sour. He ached for a bath and his toothbrush. The round eyes on his face burned with lack of sleep and he felt, for all intent purposes, 'cranky'.

The door swung open and standing before him was a full grown man with matching blue orbs and round face under bellied by a full beard. "Sheldon." The man grinned and extended his massive, tattoo-covered arm toward his little brother.

"Junior," Sheldon gasped. He was shocked at the sight of the thickness of his brother, the stocky frame that actually made him look _healthy_. When he didn't take Junior's hand, the older brother pulled back and crossed both of his thick upper limbs across his chest, a grin still on his face.

"Still don't like people to touch you, huh?" The _you_ sounded like 'yuh' as Junior's southern Texas accent poured out with ease. Sheldon's accent was still prominent when he took on a certain excited or angry tone, but for the most part, when in the presence of his colleagues, he had tried to suppress it. Before he could say anything else, Sheldon's biological urges overcame his shock at the sight of his brother.

"No, I don't, but Junior? Would it be acceptable to finish this conversation later as I have been holding the contents in my bladder for quite some time, and quite frankly, I smell foul."

"No argument there, little brother," Junior chuckled and stepped out into the hallway, out of Sheldon's path. "It's good to see you though, Shelly. Come see me when you're done." And with that, he turned on his heels and headed down the carpeted hallway to the front of the house, Sheldon's apprehensive eyes on his back for a moment before he shut the door and relieved himself.

* * *

_Present day._

"Alright, sweetie," Penny chirped as she parked her car and glanced over at her sullen passenger. "We're home." She hesitated for a biting or sarcastic remark along the lines of '_no need for the running commentary, Penny_,' to escape Sheldon's lips, but all was silent. He gripped his iPhone in his hands, running his fingers over the screen longingly, as if the inanimate object were a dear friend. "You okay?"

"Of course I am, Penny," he replied. His shiny eyes finally looked up and he studied her for a moment. After dropping Leonard off at the airport, he had been unusually quiet. His voice was slightly hoarse after the break from speaking he so rarely took.

"Okay," Penny said slowly, unsure of what Sheldon was feeling. Was he about to cry? And why wasn't he making a move to get out of the car? "You know, Sheldon. Leonard will only be gone for the summer. Time will fly by so fast, you won't even miss him."

"Penny," Sheldon said.

"Yes?"

"Stephen Hawking quit and deleted our Words With Friends game."

Penny summoned every ounce of patience and even a little bit of her sub par acting skills to keep a straight face. _There it is._

"Sheldon," she said softly. "We just dropped Leonard off at the airport where he will be joining Mr. Hawking—"

"_Doctor_ Hawking."

"Dr. Hawking," Penny continued with a frown. "On an expedition to the middle of the sea. He won't even have time to play games with you out in the middle of nowhere."

"While your reasoning is sound, Penny, I can't help but feel melancholy. Leonard has truly ruined what was supposed to be a comfortable summer." He finally unbuckled his seat belt and sighed deeply before opening the door and exiting the car. Leonard suggested plenty of self-soothing methods to try while she babysat Sheldon for the couple of months that he would be gone, but Penny didn't know she would have to try them out so soon after he left. While counting down backward from ten, she climbed out of the car and slammed her door, following her tall, lanky man-child of a friend up the four flights of stairs to their respective apartments.

"I'll be right next door if you need me, Sheldon." She inserted her key into her lock and turned her body halfway to watch him do the same. "We still ordering pizza tonight?"

"Of course. It's pizza night." Sheldon's big blue eyes blinked impatiently at his blonde neighbor like she had asked if water was wet.

"Can't wait," she muttered before slipping inside her living room and closing the door behind her. She threw her keys in the small glass bowl near her couch and collapsed onto the cushions before pawing for the remote on the coffee table. The skin on her neck was slightly damp, the heat in Pasadena furiously rising every day. The car ride was barely tolerable with Sheldon's sulking, add to that the Freon in her air conditioning was running low. Luckily, her passenger hadn't complained about that, since he was too busy being devastated about something much more pressing, like the demise of he and Hawking's virtual camaraderie.

Yanking her hair up in a messy bun and fanning the slope of her neck as she tried to cool down, Penny relaxed as she let her thoughts roam to Leonard. She was going to miss her boyfriend, but was also secretly relieved for the space. Not that she didn't love him, but Penny still had some major commitment issues that girls her age in a healthy relationship should really have grown out of by now. She figured she could take this time apart to focus on what she really wanted and under no pressure of her boyfriend's puppy dog eyes or his insistent hounding that they constantly define their relationship. It was almost like she was taking a cruise herself, in the form of a break from her relationship. Not that she would act like a single woman, but she would take advantage of her freedom by doing things she liked.

Though taking care of Sheldon (in the form of driving him everywhere and overall making sure he didn't harm himself or others) wasn't exactly her idea of a vacation excursion, she didn't mind keeping him in the routine of her everyday life. He was one of her best friends, even when he drove her up the wall. She had always felt a little more protective of Sheldon than any of her other brainy friends, because he had always seemed the most naïve and almost childish. Besides his obvious quirks though, over the past few years he had matured a lot. Both emotionally and physically. The _physically_ was not lost on Penny.

She giggled to herself at the thought of Sheldon's filled out arms and thicker body, then flipped the channels to distract herself for a few hours before dinner.

* * *

_Sixteen years earlier. _

"Junior, I assure you I am in no mood to accompany you to a party." Sheldon's stick-thin arms reached around his back and he clasped his hands together at the base of his spine, standing erect. "And even if I was in any kind of sociable mood, a 'kick-back' in a barn forty-five minutes away is _hardly_ the atmosphere that I long to mingle in." He hated to do it, but he air-quoted 'kick-back'. He watched as George Jr. let out a long sigh and sat down on the couch. Their mother and grandmother had long since gone to bed and Sheldon was roused from sleep almost as soon as he rested his head on the pillow.

"Shelly," Junior began, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. "This is actually kind of a business trip, rather than a party."

"What?" Sheldon's face screwed up in a mix between bewilderment and exasperation. "What kind of business does one attend to at eleven o'clock at night?" The look on Junior's face gave Sheldon all the information he needed to know. "You've been acquiring drugs for years, Junior. I'm sure you can make do on your own. Goodnight." His tone was cold as he spun around to leave when he heard his brother call out to him.

"No, you numbnuts," Junior hissed, rising from the couch. He followed Sheldon halfway down the hall before snapping his fingers to get his attention. When Sheldon turned, his brother was pointing frantically towards the kitchen, obviously wanting to continue their conversation out of earshot from the bedrooms where his mother and grandmother slept. Sighing heavily, Sheldon turned around and followed Junior back to the front of the house, slumping in a chair at the dining table across from him. He studied his brother with a watchful eye. He still hadn't come to terms with how _ripped_ George Jr. had become over the last six years. Sheldon had to wonder if it was a mix of weight-lifting and steroids, or just the steroids alone. His brother was always a corner-cutter. "And I'm only speaking to you about this because you're the smartest person I know, and you're an adult now."

"I'm seventeen, Junior," Sheldon replied in a disapproving tone. "While in the state of Texas I am of age to file for legal emancipation from my biological parents or be tried as an adult in a court of law, I'm not old enough to buy you booze. And I'm not smart," he added. "I'm a genius."

"Listen, Shel," Junior said through gritted teeth. "I'm not talking about buying drugs, or booze, or whatever activity you think I might partake in." His twangy voice was slightly above a whisper and he clasped his meaty hands together on top of the table. "I would like you to accompany me to an event."

"An event." Sheldon repeated in a voice thick with sleep, uninterested. "No thank you. Goodnight." He was about to rise from the table when Junior continued in a rushed voice.

"I'm fighting, Sheldon, and I want you to be there to watch me."

"Junior," Sheldon groaned. "Are you saying you want me to go watch you box another man in a _barn_?"

"These fights, Sheldon, they pay good money." Junior's blue eyes that were perfect reflections of his little brother's gleamed with excitement. "That's what I do for an income now, you know. Not a lot of places in town are hiring an ex-con with drug charges and petty theft on their records." The excitement faltered for a moment as he stared up at Sheldon.

"That's not really anything I'm interested in seeing, Junior." Sheldon watched his brother's face fall and suddenly was taken back to a decade ago, when they were just kids and Junior used to clamor for their father's attention with no results. The same look of defeat was there, even in the 21 year-old man that sat before him. "And what do you mean you do it for income?" He humored Junior, watching his eyebrows perk up.

"Well, to survive, I need an income. So I've become sort of an amateur boxer. Sometimes I participate in some mixed martial arts here and there, and I have a lot of people come bet on me. And I want you to see it."

"Junior, I can assure you that my stomach is queasy just thinking about it. That's barbaric, you know. Is that why you've bulked up to the size of a small van?"

Junior let out a sharp bark of laughter, surprising Sheldon. He couldn't help it as even his lips turned up in a small smile. "Yeah, I train daily to maintain my strength. But there's something else I'd need for you to go for, too."

"Well now that you've ruined any chances of me getting a proper amount of sleep tonight, continue," Sheldon said, his hand lazily waving the air between them as he sat back down at the table. "What would you need me there for?"

"You ever hear of spot-fixing?" Junior asked carefully.

Sheldon might not be savvy on illegal activities that happen in a barn on the edge of town in the middle of the night, but just from Junior's tone, he had a pretty good idea. "So you think you're making an income when what you're really doing is throwing fights and shaving points to rip off gangsters." He leaned back in his chair, throwing an arm over the back of it as he stared his older brother down.

Junior blinked back surprise for a few seconds before clearing his throat. "I don't deal with gangsters," he protested, leaning back in his own chair, mirroring Sheldon perfectly. "Just some dumb-ass preppy kids that bet their mom and dad's money during summer and winter breaks when they come home from the Ivy Leagues to visit." He licked his lips and looked over his shoulder quickly to make sure they were still alone before he continued. "And I feel like if you come with me, you could use that big ol' brain of yours to help me scout out the suckers. Come on, Sheldon. I'll split all the winnings down the middle with you." When Sheldon didn't answer, he added, "It'll be a great way for us to bond again, you know? I missed you Shelly. I want you to see what I've been up to. I miss my brother."

"I appreciate the sentiment, Junior," Sheldon said, his face blank. "But I won't be joining you. Please don't come wake me up again. Enjoy your roll in the manure tonight." He stood up from the table for the last time before turning his back on the brightly lit kitchen. His brother's voice followed him and made him stop in his tracks again.

"Everyone always says I'm like our old man," he scoffed. "Just 'cause I have his name and I took a liking to illegal substances just like he did. But you're more like George Cooper than I could ever be. You're cold as ice."

The tips of Sheldon's ears burned. How he wished he was back in Germany in his tidy, bleach-smelling room with an immaculately clean desk and made up cot that was suited for his size. He would be up right now, no doubt breaking for lunch with his colleagues as they discussed their calculations over a plate of vegetables and meats cooked to his preference. He would give anything to be there instead of here, toe to toe with a man with whom he shared his blood, guilting him into spending time with his him and his hooligan protégé. Clenching his fists together, he turned around and slowly re-entered the kitchen where George Jr. stared up at him expectantly.

* * *

_Present day._

Sheldon removed his jacket and eased into his spot, the sole comfort allotted to him today. His apartment was now empty and lacking a certain frazzled sense of disorder that followed his roommate Leonard wherever he seemed to go, yet Sheldon continued to feel glum. He pulled his iPhone out of the front pocket of his khakis and stared at the dark screen. Could Leonard have told Dr. Hawking to cease their game? Why would he do that? Sheldon tried to be reasonable. He breathed a soft laugh, his shoulders shaking. _Try._ Sheldon Cooper didn't have to _try_ to do anything. The moment of sadness passed, and he was over it. He placed his cell phone on the coffee table in front of him and grabbed the remote, switching on the television to kill some time before his scheduled Skype time with Amy Farrah Fowler, preceded by the arrival of pizza brought by his friends.

Melancholy arrived again. Not only was Leonard offered the chance of a lifetime to visit the North Sea in the name of physics, Sheldon's girlfriend Amy had left the day before to the United Kingdom to partake in lecturing Advanced Neurobiology at Cambridge University for the entire summer. Big things were happening for everybody but Sheldon, while he was scheduled for a whole lot of nothing-new for the next insufferable couple of months.

If Penny had been invited by Joss Whedon himself to start filming on location for The Avengers 2, Sheldon would've considered suicide. Stewing in his own pity, he soon lost track of time before the door to his apartment swung open and in walked bottle-blonde Penny like she owned the place.

"Sup?" she greeted him tersely before slouching on the other end of the couch. "Raj and Howard gonna bring the pizza?"

Sheldon studied her horrid posture, legs bent and knees together as her slippered feet rested on the coffee table. She was dressed in a pair of inappropriately high denim shorts with a bright yellow halter top that left little to the imagination. "Yes, Penny. Raj and Howard will be arriving with the pizza soon. Please, make yourself at home." He tore his eyes away from her and back on the TV before reaching for the remote again to change the channel. His brows furrowed in confusion when he saw that the channels were already changing on their own, then looked back at Penny with annoyed huff as he saw her thumbing the buttons on the remote herself. She looked at him with an innocent pout.

"You said 'make yourself at home'."

"Honestly, Penny," Sheldon began, but was interrupted by the buzzing of his phone. The small cellular vibrated and rotated on the table top as he grabbed it and put it to his ear, not bothering to check the caller I.D. "Hello?"

"Shelly! It's me, Junior."

Indeed it was. Sheldon inwardly cringed at the sound of the voice he hadn't heard in years. "What do you want, George Jr.?" He felt no need to waste time with social salutations when he knew his brother wasn't calling to have a friendly chat. "Well? Spit it out." He tensed as he saw Penny out of the corner of his eye look towards him, garnering unwanted attention. He rose from his spot and stalked down the hall to his bedroom.

"Sheldon Lee. That's no way to greet your big brother, especially one that's gone out of his way to come visit you in sunny California."

Sheldon closed his eyes tightly and slumped against his closed bedroom door. Then, he silently prayed to a God he didn't believe in to make him disappear.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Aww, you guys! Thanks so much for your feedback/favorites/follows! I'm truly overwhelmed and had no idea people would hop on the dark Sheldon train so willingly. And trust me - I am just **_**foaming at the mouth **_**for the day that George Cooper Jr. makes an appearance on the show. Until then…I guess I'll just have to make do with this one. ;) Keep the feedback coming, please! And more importantly, enjoy!**

**P.S. Is it bad that I'm totally writing this at work while I'm on the clock? :|**

* * *

_"Sheldon Lee. That's no way to greet your big brother, especially one that's gone out of his way to come visit you in sunny California."_

It had been 2,755 days since he had last heard George Jr.'s voice. That very night that he last saw him, Sheldon told him that he swore on everything holy and not that if Junior ever came near him again, he would cause him bodily harm. Even at the time, Sheldon knew he would be bested in a physical altercation with anyone, namely his prize-fighting older brother, but the vehemence of this vow had caused Junior to flinch before nodding an agreement.

So now why, nearly 8 years later, had Junior decided to override his one demand? Sheldon assumed that perhaps he needed some money and then quickly dismissed it. Junior had 'won' enough cash over the years to last him for quite some time. Before any other possibilities could run through his head, Junior spoke again. "You there? 'Lo?"

"Junior, what do you want? Why have you blatantly disregarded our previous agreement where I specifically asked you to never come near me again?"

"Fuck's sake, Sheldon, that was almost ten years ago! I was sure you'd gotten over it by now. Or is that freaky, photo-picture memory of yours holding you hostage again?"

"I have no time to sit here and correct your syntax, but I believe the term you're grasping for is _eidetic_ memory, and-"

"Sheldon, if you don't shut your trap and let me speak…"

"You aren't saying anything that I want to hear!" Sheldon snapped in a hoarse voice. He pushed his back off of the closed door and crossed the bedroom to the furthest corner, hoping the acoustics wouldn't allow Penny to hear him had she half the mind to come eavesdrop on his phone call and he _knew_ that she did. "You have less than 30 seconds to explain yourself."

"I'm in Pasadena. I understand that you've got yourself a nice little apartment with an open bedroom for the summer."

Sheldon cursed his mother's incessant need to talk about his life to anyone who would listen. "Twenty seconds."

"I'm here on business. Business that you might be interested in." Junior's voice was raspy as he drew in a sharp breath and coughed pathetically, reeling in saliva and spitting it out loud enough for Sheldon to hear.

"Fourteen seconds."

"Hell, I figured that'd be all the explanation you need. Why haven't you invited me to come visit with you yet?"

"Perhaps you don't remember my request. I don't want anything to do with you." Before Sheldon could continue his lashing out, Junior cut him off with a deep, menacing promise.

"I've got your address anyway. Don't make me stop by uninvited."

Sheldon's initial steely voice bled freely into pleading. "Junior, I really don't have the time to accommodate you…"

"Mom says you never take any kind of vacation anyhow. She figured it'd be a lovely time for me to come visit my little brother. So start putting in for time off so we can spend some time together. I've never been to California before."

"I won't help you any more, Junior," Sheldon promised, already feeling his resolve weaken. Alone in his room with the light off and only the bright sun peeking through his heavy drapes to illuminate the small space, he felt like a caged animal. Though Penny was down the hall and probably the physically toughest person he knew on a personal level, not even she could shield him from what was inevitably crashing down on his head. He had a fleeting thought to call out to her for help. Pack her up and get the hell out of Dodge together, tell his friends he was leaving and write to Leonard to tell him never to return to 2311 Los Robles. But no matter how far he ran, he'd never get away from George Jr. "I can't do this."

"Sure you can, Shelly. You're the smartest genius I know. I'll be there tomorrow night."

As the line clicked off and his cell phone went silent, Sheldon exhaled a deep breath, then for the first time in his life wished he wasn't the genius that Junior needed.

* * *

Meanwhile, Penny waited for him in the living room. When Sheldon hadn't emerged from his room after Raj and Howard arrived with the pizza, she began to worry. It had been quite some time since she had seen the brilliant, albeit slightly loony, physicist so worked up and angry, and it added to the mystery that all it took for him to bristle was a phone call. Even more surprising, she could've sworn he had said his elusive older brother's name. As the newly chatty Raj droned on about how red wines were better with pizza but terrible for his diet and Howard texted his wife, Penny's thoughts were glued to Sheldon's absence. She opened her mouth to speak, purposely interrupting Raj. "Hey, you guys ever met Sheldon's brother? George Jr.?"

Raj shrugged and shook his head, while Howard's round eyes looked upward, as if trying to remember. "No," he finally said, opening the pizza box. "Sheldon rarely even talks about him."

"Where is Sheldon, anyhow?" Raj asked as he walked to the kitchen to look for a corkscrew for his wine.

"He took a phone call in his room," Penny answered. "I think the one who called him was his brother."

"Is everything alright?" Raj inquired as he worked on the cork.

"I…don't know." Penny bit her lower lip as she served herself a slice of pizza, slumping down onto the couch. She couldn't get Sheldon's snappy tone out of her head as he demanded to know what his brother wanted. _Well? Spit it out!_

"Bernie's on her way," Howard changed the subject. "She had to work late, so save her a slice. Will you go get Sheldon?" He looked at Penny expectantly. "I don't want to get lectured for 10 minutes about how we spoiled his dinner by letting his pizza get cold."

Penny nodded and rose slowly from her sitting position before pausing, then taking another step towards the hallway and stopped again. For a reason she couldn't readily explain, she felt like she didn't want to bother Sheldon right now.

"What's with the buffering?" Howard quipped, staring peculiarly at Penny.

Without answering him, Penny finally put one foot in front of the other and walked down the hall, making a right and slamming into a lean body and furious stare. "Sheldon!" she squeaked as she backed into the wall and placed a hand on her chest. "You scared the shit out of me!"

Sheldon's eyes searched her for a moment, his mouth slightly twisted at her crude metaphor. "What are you doing, Penny?"

"I was coming to get you." She swallowed hard, keeping herself from adding, _and wondering what is wrong with you. _"The pizza is here."

"I know. I can hear all of you clucking about it." He tapped the side of his head, indicating his almost inhuman hearing had not failed him yet. Then he stepped around Penny and headed to the living room. She stood still for a moment before following him, wringing her hands together in deep thought.

* * *

_Sixteen years earlier._

Sheldon walked back into the kitchen and stared at his brother.

_"Everyone always says I'm like our old man," he scoffed. "Just 'cause I have his name and I took a liking to illegal substances just like he did. But you're more like George Cooper than I could ever be. You're cold as ice."_

It was quiet for a long time before Junior broke the silence and said, "One of my buddies told me there's a science to throwing these fights. It's all mathematical…" Sheldon scoffed loudly, but he was still listening, so Junior continued. "You study the fighters, you look at their records and then you can stage fights."

"It's gambling, a dishonorable past time. You've traded your addiction to drugs for an addiction to winning illegally."

"Shelly, it's really not that serious," Junior scolded, attempting to brush off Sheldon's disapproving stare. "It's fun!"

"It's fun getting pummeled with fists until someone collapses? You know that the small perichondrial hematoma you've acquired in your right ear, commonly known as cauliflower ear, no doubt resulting from your bouts of sparring, is permanent?" Sheldon pointed a bony finger at his brother's head, watching as Junior unconsciously pressed his fingers to the growing bump of skin on his ear.

"I'm not asking you to actually get in on a fight, Sheldon," Junior chuckled when Sheldon's eyes went wide in disbelief. "Don't have a cow. But aren't you even a _little _interested in making some money? That fancy education you're getting can't be cheap." He was met with a derisive glare that would he would learn was to become Sheldon's trademark facial expression in the coming years.

"I am funding my education with multiple scholarships and grants awarded to me for my hard work and contributions to the field of science, Junior. Money obtained by gambling doesn't interest me." Still, Sheldon lingered, messing with the fringe of the table cloth as he found himself sitting down across from his brother again. He wasn't sure how he could explain it except maybe he was still asleep and that this entire conversation was a dream. But Sheldon found himself wondering just how easy it would be to scientifically solve the outcome of a brawl, given that the mongrels honor a point system for blows like traditional professional boxing. He was interrupted by the feel of Junior's stare on him.

"You're right, Shelly," he said, scratching his beard as he regarded his younger brother. "You really are a genius. And I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little green about it. You got all the brains, after all. All Missy got was brown eyes and I got a hard head." He leaned back with a smirk, causing his chair to groan under his muscle and weight. Sheldon fought the urge to make the snide remark that George was a lot more cunning than he led everyone else to believe. "Sheldon, I'd also be lying if I said I wasn't real proud of you."

Sheldon could not compute. As much trouble as he had deciphering sarcasm and witless humor in others, he had fared worse in understanding how to take a genuine compliment. If anyone else had told young Dr. Sheldon Cooper that he was a genius, he would've agreed whole-heartedly and allowed them to bask in his glory. When Junior admitted to at least sort of comprehending Sheldon's intellectual triumphs, it warmed him to an uncomfortable degree. Then again, this was _George Cooper, Jr_; the man was very skilled in deceitfulness. But Sheldon's will was in the middle of crumbling as he struggled to remember the reasons why his brother made him feel distrustful of his very presence when Junior continued.

"I wish I had been around more when you came home to visit," he lamented. "I've wasted a lot of time being baked out of my mind, Shelly. Now that I'm clean and really passionate about something in my life, you know…fighting…I want you to be part of it. Whaddya say?"

_You don't have to say a thing,_ Reasonable Sheldon said firmly inside his head. _Just stand up and walk out of the room, scream for Mother if you have to. Just get away from this man, this shell of the brother you used to have. He's just trying to butter you up to do his bidding, Cooper, and you know it._

Instead, Actual Sheldon opened his mouth and said, "I'll get my jacket."

Junior's face beamed long after Sheldon had left the kitchen.

* * *

_Present day._

Sheldon acted normal, well normal in the way that is normal for Sheldon, throughout dinner. Maybe a little testy, but it wasn't anything unusual. Still, as Howard and Raj continued typical conversation, occasionally peppered by Sheldon's interjections, Penny couldn't shake the feeling that something was up with her neighbor. So she went for broke.

"Sheldon," she began, stacking the empty paper plates on top of the pizza box and took it to the kitchen to tidy up while the three men watched television.

"Hmm?" He didn't glance up, seemingly engrossed by the program. His elbow was propped on the arm rest of the couch, his upturned palm lazily holding his chin as he leaned into it.

"Who was that on the phone?"

Anyone watching close enough like Penny was would have caught it. She felt a shudder dip into her body when Sheldon's eyes locked onto hers, his sudden baleful expression dropping the temperature in the room by a few degrees. At the same moment, he visibly stiffened. But as quickly as it came, it passed. He waited to answer until Howard made it known that he was now paying attention. Taking a split second to compose himself, Sheldon removed his chin from his hand and placed both of his palms in his lap. "Why, Penny. That was official Caltech business. Which reminds me, I'm going to be taking a leave of absence from the university for one week starting tomorrow. During the next 7 days, I will be extremely busy and hardly ever here at the apartment, therefore I suggest that you all make the necessary preparations to have the allotted video game nights as well as dinner somewhere else."

"But…" Howard said, sneaking a glance at Penny. "She said you were on the phone with your brother." He then looked at Raj who sat still in the arm chair closest to the hall, quietly holding his wine glass by the stem.

"Did she?" Sheldon asked with an amused, almost condescending smile on his face. "She must have misheard."

Raj finally spoke up. "What are you doing that you can't be at work for a week?"

"Why, aren't you all just a ragtag trio of sleuths." Sheldon's gaze finally rested on Penny again and she squirmed, leaning against the table across the room. "That's not really anyone's concern. I would thank you all to respect that. And now if you'll excuse me, I have work to do." He jumped up from his spot and walked over to his desk, collapsing in his chair. His long, nimble fingers tapped the mouse pad beneath the keyboard while he waited for the laptop to boot up. Sheldon was still in the same room as his friends, but it was clearly a dismissal. They didn't have to leave, but he was as good as gone, in his own world now and none the wiser to their presence.

Howard muttered something along the lines of _whacko_ while Raj took another sip of his wine. Penny crossed her arms and watched the screen over Sheldon's shoulder as he pulled up windows of more physics-y stuff she didn't understand. She watched for a beat longer before stalking over to the couch and sat down next to Howard. They gave each other a look and he offered her a shrug, silently insisting she not press the issue, or maybe he was resigning to the fact that he really didn't care what was going on with Sheldon.

But Penny refused to let it go. She could have gotten over Sheldon's cold, calculating stare after she called him out, and she could have gotten over how quickly he ignored his friends' request for the truth. But what she couldn't swallow was his face when he flat out lied to her. Sheldon wasn't a liar, not a good one, at least. He was a twitcher. His eyes would water and tic and his mouth would spasm to the side in an almost comical way whenever he tried to supply his circle of friends with some made-up story; it was his most annoying but dependable habit.

Sheldon didn't twitch when he lied a minute ago. It irked her.

Turning her neck to watch Sheldon's back as he furiously typed and scratched notes on a legal pad, she waited him out. They'd be alone soon enough.

"Knock, knock!" Bernadette's high, sweet voice rang out as she entered the uncomfortable silence with a cheery grin and closed the apartment door behind her. She took in the atmosphere and her eyes landed on Penny. "Um, what's up, guys?" Before anyone could answer her, Amy's designated ring on Skype sounded from Sheldon's laptop, and to everyone's shock, he ignored it without hesitation, and kept typing away.

* * *

_Sixteen years earlier. _

An hour later, the Cooper boys drove slowly onto uneven ground covered by tall grass, their mother's old, brown station wagon chugging along. The shocks were being given a workout until they finally came to rest outside of a large barn surrounded by other parked cars. They both climbed out of the car and shut their doors, their breath visible in the cold air. Sheldon's slim frame gave a slight roll, shuddering in the sudden icy temperature. Only during a Texas winter would it be completely acceptable to wear shorts and flip flops at noon, then switch to earmuffs and coats by nightfall. He glanced over at his older brother and studied him while he wasn't looking. He was a tall man, towering over most people he met, just like George Cooper, and just like Sheldon would someday. The younger boy knew that he far surpassed Junior in everything that counted; emotional maturity and academic knowledge for sure, but he couldn't help but feel a slight edge of envy knowing that Junior had really _lived_. And hard. Not that Sheldon would ever even consider touching drugs that weren't prescribed for his sinus infections, or taste alcohol for pleasure. But Junior had a reputation for 'loving the ladies', as it were.

Sheldon wasn't as oblivious as he came off sometimes; he hated that he was so freaked out by casual physical contact and the looks he earned from total strangers for his outlandish behavior bordering on compulsive when someone offered their hand to shake. What he wouldn't give for one day, no, one _hour_, of normalcy. To touch a woman, perhaps. He was wholly and fully dedicated to physics, but not even he could deny the fact he was only seventeen. How badly now more than ever he wished to realize his lifelong dream of building a time machine so that he could fast forward through what hippie-dippie psychologists referred to as 'adolescence'.

Junior wrecked Sheldon's ridiculous train of thoughts by clapping an open palm on the roof of the station wagon. "Ready?" He motioned with his neck towards the barn and Sheldon stiffly followed. He hunched his shoulders forward, his North Face fleece jacket doing little to block out the fierce winds that bent the tall grass they treaded through. The looming barn had once been painted completely red, but as they got closer, Sheldon could see that the chipped paint had caused the old oak clapboards to look rather like they were originally gray and stained with blood.

"How appropriate," he mumbled softly to himself, following his brother closely. While Sheldon made no effort to dress for any other occasion than to stay warm (finding a black pair of sweats and a white thermal T-shirt beneath another long-sleeved shirt with a logo of Ash from _Pokémon _on the front to be more than appropriate), Junior had decided to dress in a loose-fitting pair of dark denim jeans, a plain black t-shirt and a thin leather jacket. His feet were pinched into what Sheldon figured were very uncomfortable, but very expensive looking, narrow leather boots. Much to Sheldon's dismay, his brother looked like a greaser from the 1950's. They reached the front of the barn, the entrance slightly ajar as the racket of hip-hop music and smell of marijuana floated companionably into the night air. Sheldon dug his heels into the dirt, causing his brother to look back at him with thinning patience and a questioning stare. "Junior, they're doing drugs in there." He backed up slowly, recognizing the smell that got a pair of students who lived in his dorm while he attended undergraduate school expelled and ultimately arrested.

"Yeah?" Junior asked. "So?" They were both quiet as a deep, nasally voice on the speakers inside sang '_I love it when you call me big poppa'._

Sheldon's face twisted with displeasure. "Isn't it the antithesis state of affairs for a recovering addict like you to waltz into what I can only imagine is a drug-fueled orgy?"

"Huh?"

Sheldon sighed loudly. "I've changed my mind. Please take me home, Junior."

"Like hell," Junior grunted, wrapping his fingers around one of Sheldon's slender arms and poised himself to yank when he saw his little brother recoil and cry out in alarm. "Shelly, what the hell? You're crouching like I'm fixing to beat you." He quickly let him go and gave the young boy a wide girth while Sheldon smoothed his jacket down, composing himself. A flicker of realization ignited in Junior's eyes. "Sheldon, is someone touching you when they shouldn't be?"

"Don't be absurd!" Sheldon yelped. He mentally stuffed down all the sudden, vivid memories of being bullied and beat up by neighborhood kids during his childhood, the childhood that Junior was mostly absent for. "No one is allowed to touch me."

"Goddamn right," Junior said fiercely, taking Sheldon by surprise. "I don't care if you live in Germany or Timbuktu-if anyone ever lays a fucking finger on you to do you harm, you give me a call and I'll be there to set them straight." The two brothers eyed each other evenly in silence before a shrill pair of female giggles interrupted them. They both turned to see two scantily clad women stumble from the entrance of the barn, the music blaring louder behind them before they closed the wide door and walked unsteadily off into the distance. It was obvious by their looks as well as the whiff Sheldon got when they walked by that they were under an influence of fruity smelling alcohol. When they were out of sight, Sheldon turned back to his brother, the intense moment of protectiveness now gone. He cleared his throat while Junior waited.

"Roid rage is an epidemic, you know," he retorted, netting a chuckle from his brother. He grimaced as Junior playfully rubbed his hand through Sheldon's hair before drawing his arm back to his body.

"Just showing you some love, little brother. Now come on, let's get in the barn. It's warmer inside." He reached around to open the barn door, and extended his arm to allow Sheldon to enter first. Taking a deep breath, Sheldon willed his legs to quit trembling as he stepped inside.

* * *

_Present day._

He wished Penny would just go away. Everyone else got the hint, for Pete's sake. Only a few minutes after he excused himself to do some work, then ignored his scheduled Skype call with Amy Farrah Fowler, his companions made their lame excuses and were out the door very quickly thereafter. But Penny hung around. He watched her out of the corner of his eye while she washed his dishes, then pranced down the hall to use his bathroom, then come back into the living room and flop on his couch (not my spot, Penny). He needed his space, a few moments of quiet to gather some perspective and map out a game plan. He also needed to make a very angry phone call to Texas before it got any later; when he considered the time difference, Sheldon knew his mother would be going to bed any minute and what he had to say to her simply could not wait until morning.

Mary Cooper was well aware that her oldest boy was no angel, but she didn't know the truth about him or about Sheldon or about why his visits home became more frequent after that December weekend 16 years ago and that they had nothing to do with 'missing his Mama' as she put it. Rather that it was because he had become drawn into a world that Junior created for them, and as spitting mad as Junior could make him, Sheldon found himself needing and craving that fellowship that his brother provided him, a male to look up to when none had previously been there before. At such a young age, Sheldon couldn't have prepared for the way Junior had gotten so wrapped up in the world of his own making, and almost took Sheldon down with him…

"Let's talk, Sheldon." Startled from his thoughts, Sheldon frowned, crossed his arms over his chest, and spun in his chair to face a very stern looking Penny. She was still sitting on the couch but the TV had been turned off and she was leaning back with her own arms crossed, a perfect imitation of him.

"Yes, Penny, let's." Sheldon rose from his seat and clamped his hands behind him at the base of his spine. He felt her eyes on him as he paced. "I will not need your driving services this upcoming week."

"No, Sheldon, we're going to talk about what the hell happened earlier. Your brother called you, he _clearly_ upset you, and not ten minutes later you came out here, lied to your friends, then basically kicked us out of your life for a week!" Her green eyes blazed like tiny pools of emerald.

"I didn't lie," Sheldon muttered, slightly turning his head to face his beloved white board that was still on display in the small space between the kitchen and the living room. "I explained that my affairs are none of your concern." He looked back at her with a bored expression. "And that's the truth." Boy, it was hard speaking to Penny with such disinterest when she was dressed like that. He noted her small pair of shorts and the yellow top from earlier. Not that Sheldon had never noticed Penny's obviously pleasing features before, but tonight they were extremely distracting. So was everything else now that he knew in just 24 hours, Junior was riding into town to screw up his routine, his _life_. His nerves were tingling with distress. "On that note, it's getting late, so if you would kindly show yourself out..."

"Look, Sheldon," Penny said, uncrossing her arms and scooting up from her slouched position to sit up straight on the couch. "I promised Leonard I would look out for you while he's gone…"

"An unnecessary verbal covenant if I've ever heard one."

"…But you're also my friend," Penny said pointedly after he interrupted her. "I care about you, sweetie. Tell me, what did your brother say that got you so worked up? Is everything okay back home in Texas?"

Her concern both softened his demeanor and equally made him queasy. How could he keep this situation from Penny when she lived right across the hall? She could very well be minding her own business when by some stroke of coincidence, she'd run right into Junior while walking down the stairwell. There would be no hiding that they were related. Though Sheldon had filled out slightly recently due to adding a little more protein to his diet, Junior would always be bulkier than him due to his line of work. But they were of equal height, standing at a lofty 6'2", and their round faces (Sheldon's always baby smooth and hairless while Junior was always sporting at least some scruff) were of similar, boyish physique. And if she got close enough, she would see that he had the identical signature blue eyes that always got the attention of the female species. In short, there would be no hiding from Penny that George Cooper Jr. was coming to town.

So as quickly as he could, Sheldon developed a plan to tell Penny just enough to keep her at bay, but not enough to reel her in. As exhausting as her company could be, Sheldon did care about her well-being. He couldn't allow her to get involved. And what was worse, he couldn't allow Penny to know so much about Sheldon, especially when he had worked so hard for the last decade that he lived in Pasadena to keep his past in the dark, where it belonged. He was scowling when he turned around to face her. "Alright, Penny, if you must know. Yes, my brother is coming to visit me for a few days." He waited for her to brighten up or give him some sort of reaction that would allow him to believe that this answer would be sufficient enough for her to let the whole situation go, but she didn't budge. They waited each other out before he became uncomfortable with the silence. "So there, that's the truth. George Jr. will be here tomorrow."

"Why do I get the feeling that you don't want him here?" The petite blonde re-crossed her arms and lifted herself from the couch. She took a step closer to Sheldon and closed the gap on their distance.

"What are you talking about? He's my brother, of course I want him here." His breathing became shallow as soon as the words left his mouth. His mind was grasping for the walls of his brain, reaching up to the surface for oxygen as he began to sink deeper and deeper until he was flailing. Like a taut rubber band that he had been stretching all night, he snapped.

His eye finally twitched. He watched Penny's full bottom lip stretch into a knowing smirk.

Well. It seems like the community college dropout was a lot more intuitive than he gave her credit for.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: A few things:**

**- I have to say that I ****actually**** am a daughter of the Lone Star State-I'm Texas through and through ;) So when I write about the occasional crazy Texas weather, I'm not making it up, lol. **

**- Y'all just keep touching my heart. Truly, thank you so much for your feedback. The Big Bang Theory has a crazy talented, tight-knit and dedicated fan fiction following, so I'm honored to entertain you guys.**

**- In case any of you guys wonder who I have in mind when I write about George Jr., I invite thee to perform a Google image search for a bearded Jake Gyllenhaal. Yum!**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

_Sixteen years earlier. _

The inside of the barn was like a smoke-filled maze. Sheldon began to catalog every step and turn he took with his supreme memory just in case he had to make a run for it without Junior, who was already leading him slowly through the barn while greeting other people with high-fives and friendly nods. To his left, a make-shift bar was manned by a blonde woman in a black tank top and tight jeans who swayed to the beat of the music. She poured liquor into red Solo cups sitting upon an overturned metal tub with reckless abandon. Her patrons cheered her on as she squeezed a lemon between her lips, spit it out, and then shot back three of the cups one after the other. Adjacent to that display was a line of men waiting patiently as a keg was pumped and beer was poured into their awaiting cups. To Sheldon's right, the stable of the barn was stacked with square bales where more people of an indeterminate age group (some looked as young as Sheldon's age, most were around Junior's age, and a few old men were peppered in) sat, chattering excitedly as they drank and passed funny-looking cigarettes around. The bales were set up to face the center space of the barn which was occupied by an octagon-shaped platform. Sheldon quickly estimated that it was about twenty feet in diameter and allowed for another foot or so from the most north to the most south points. The entire platform was surrounded by a chain link fence about six feet high, and it gave Sheldon a cold feeling as he stared at it.

His eyes darted to the floor of the platform and he blanched when he saw the distinct yet faded splash patterns of dried blood. Just as he was about to voice his desire once again to be taken home, Junior wrapped an arm around his narrow shoulders and gave a light squeeze. "This is great, huh?" he asked, his eyes hopeful as he studied Sheldon's reaction.

"Great? No," Sheldon disagreed. "Junior, I really do not feel comfortable. Although this is by no means a permitted establishment to procure, prepare, and serve alcohol that would meet the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission's standards, I am underage and you could get in as much trouble as me if we are caught in here by passing law enforcement." He was winded after his rant, the smoke in the air filling his lungs, and he sputtered a cough while looking at Junior with miserable eyes.

"You've been going to college for 6 years, Sheldon. You gonna tell me you ain't partied once since you've been there?"

"I'm 17 years-old for Pete's sake," Sheldon snapped, his eyes narrowing at his brother. "My first year of college began when I was 11, an age where the party invites a normal kid my age would be receiving have Spiderman logos and the shirt size of the birthday child on it." He crossed his arms and rooted his feet firmly to the ground, refusing Junior the ability to pull him along deeper into the barn. "I really want to leave."

"I know, Shel," Junior said absently, his eyes searching the crowd. "Please, let's just stay here for an hour. I'm going to fight here pretty soon, then we'll leave right after." Alarm spread across Sheldon's face as he processed Junior's words.

"How will we get home after you're done fighting? I assure you that I am not a licensed driver by any stretch and will not be able to navigate Mom's wagon out of this field you've brought us to. If you're all bloodied up and unconscious and you think _I'm _going to drag you out of this cesspool..."

"I'll be alright to drive," Junior promised, a grin growing on his face so wide that it reached his eyes. "I swear." Just when Sheldon opened his mouth to protest again, a yell rang out from behind the brothers, causing the younger one to nearly leap out of his skin. When they turned, Junior let Sheldon go and met the man whooping in excitement halfway as they collided into a bear hug. "Marky, you sunnovabitch. I thought you were working tonight!" Junior released the man who was almost as colossal as he was, but with bright red hair and matching eyebrows, his arms and neck lightly freckled and his right cheekbone permanently pocked with scars caused by an old case of acne by Sheldon's guess.

"I wouldn't miss this shit, George," the man named Marky crowed.

"My man," Junior chuckled then turned his attention back to an awkward looking Sheldon, who was gazing longingly at the only exit he had found, back the way they came. He grabbed his shoulder and pulled him forward. "This is my little brother, Sheldon. Sheldon, this is my best friend and trainer, Marky."

"Pleasure," Marky said, extending his hand while Sheldon eyed it with distaste.

"He doesn't shake hands," Junior explained unapologetically with a smirk. Sheldon turned to eye his brother and felt a sudden gush of gratitude; no one ever understood nor particularly tolerated his aversion to human contact, but his big brother offered no excuses for Sheldon's behavior nor did he make him feel ashamed for not shaking his best friend's hand. He felt his lips turn up at the corner then he turned to face Marky again and nodded a muted greeting.

"Ah, the strong, silent type," Marky laughed and pulled his hand back. "Nice to finally meet you, Sheldon. You here to watch your brother open a can of whoop ass?"

Sheldon winced. "I assume that's a metaphor for watching George Jr. engage in a bout of gruesome grappling. If so, you are correct. That is why I'm here."

"That means yes," Junior chortled as Marky stared at Sheldon with a confused look on his face. The red-head then shrugged and took a sip of the beer he had been holding by the neck of the bottle. Sheldon watched him lower it carelessly after a long swig, the amber liquid inside spilling out onto his fist. He longed to point out to his brother's friend that he was getting beer everywhere, on the floor, on himself, but even Sheldon knew that in this barn, chaos reigned, and he would be the proverbial "nut" for having pointed out that Marky was being unsanitary. He sighed in resignation and stood obediently by his brother as the two men continued to talk. "I'm fighting Hero tonight."

"So I heard." Marky waggled his eyebrows meaningfully. "The books say you're getting about four grand tonight if you take him first round. If you hold him off for all three rounds, you're looking at about fifteen hundred." Sheldon leaned in, his eyes wide with incredulity. Surely they weren't talking about dollar amounts.

"Hero's quick, he likes to jab like a snake and take his opponent down right off the bat," Junior explained to Sheldon. "Nobody has ever been able to land a solid hit on him in the first round. He makes himself busy backing up to avoid them, lookin' for the takedown."

Sheldon processed this quickly. The music coming from the speakers hung in miscellaneous places around the barn switched to a fast-paced rock song, and so he had to speak a little louder. "You're engaging in mixed martial arts tonight?" He saw Marky and Junior's faces tweak in surprise. "Although the United States audience has yet to gain full momentum of fandom for 'MMA' style fighting, Germany has quite the dedicated following." Sheldon found himself smiling knowingly as he nodded at the two men, his own hands now joined behind his back as he continued. "The televised pay-per-view professional matches are in high demand in the recreation room back at my dormitory at the university. Although I've never willingly watched a full match, rather, I use my down time to unlock the secrets of the universe, sometimes using the white dry erase boards in the rec room because they're much larger in stature, I can hear the matches as they commence." He waited a beat before adding, "I have an extremely profound ability to hear. Much like the Vulcan race." His smile disappeared as Junior and Marky stared at him, uncomprehending.

"Shelly!" Junior shouted over the music with a good-natured laugh and placed a hand on his brother's shoulder to stop him from talking. "Yes, little brother. I'm fighting MMA-style tonight. Do me a favor and sit next to Marky during. You'll be up front and center next to the ring so I can keep my eye on you. Plus, you'll be able to see all the action." Junior began to peel his jacket off as Sheldon gave Marky a worried look before he flitted to his brother's side. Junior handed Sheldon his jacket to hold, who hesitated before folding it neatly and tucking it under his arm. He looked at Junior expectantly. "What's wrong now, Sheldon?"

"Like I said before, I know a little bit about the match you're about to partake in and I must insist that you reconsider, Junior. It's extremely dangerous." He lowered his voice and added, "As your brother, I feel it is my responsibility to educate you on the risks."

"I know," Junior said in a lower voice as well to mimic Sheldon's serious tone. He cocked his head to the side and pointing at his bloated ear. "Cauliflower ear. I get it."

"There's also risk of obtaining lacerations that if untreated long enough can become infected, causing sepsis, gangrene, or loss of a limb altogether. Also, you could break your bones, your neck, your spine, rupture an organ…"

"This kid is cute," Marky laughed, interrupting Sheldon, who had forgotten he was listening. "And you're right, he's smart as hell. Like a genius, or something."

_Not _like _a genius, I am…_Sheldon's brain practically shrieked, his eye twitching as he spun around to face Marky. But he bit his tongue before turning back around again to follow Junior who had begun to walk towards the ring. "There's also, and may I stress that this is tremendously imperative, risk of death." He would hardly admit it aloud, but Sheldon truly was beginning to feel nervous, panicked even, for Junior's well-being. And it was beginning to bother him. He had spent the last half a decade of his life maturing at an alarming rate and dedicating his faculties to science and his education, therefore he wasted absolutely no time harping on emotions or attachments, save for the occasional mopey feeling he got after talking to his mother or Meemaw on the phone when he missed them. In fact, Sheldon was beginning to feel a little angry with Junior for making him feel this helpless emotion of wanting to protect him when he clearly couldn't. The three men reached the side of the ring when Sheldon did something that surprised Junior and even himself—he reached out and grabbed his brother's bicep, his grip strong and desperate around Junior's skin. "Please, Junior," he pleaded, a lump in his throat forming when his eyes swept the platform again to see the dried blood.

"Shelly," Junior began, then followed his brother's eyes and realization hit him as he saw the dried blood, too. He wriggled his arm from Sheldon's grip before placing his own two hands on his little brother's shoulders. "Don't worry. That's not my blood on that floor. But I was responsible for making it spill." And with a wink and a nod at Marky to come take Sheldon to his seat, Junior stepped onto the platform, a sudden uproar of cheers welcoming him to center stage.

* * *

_Present day._

It was like pulling teeth, but Penny had steady hands. She was going to get the truth out of Sheldon if it killed them both.

_"Why do I get the feeling that you don't want him here?"_

She watched him as he answered with a lie, going on about how he wanted his brother there, but he wasn't fooling anyone. His eye twitched and his posture straightened while his expression became indignant. She felt herself grin in victory. _There's that damn twitch. Gotcha, sucker. _

"Penny," Sheldon said, his voice high and shrill as he finally maintained control of his facial tic. "There are things in life that are beyond your understanding and quite frankly, none of your business. This situation is one of them."

"Sheldon, come on," Penny groaned. "I have a little brother who cooks meth for a living, okay? I know what it's like to deal with difficult family members." She advanced closer to Sheldon, knowing that she was pushing his limits by not only catching him in a lie and demanding he talk about what his brother did to upset him, but also by potentially violating his personal space. But she didn't care. She was not only concerned about him, but was totally put off by him ignoring Amy's call. Something was up.

When she saw that Sheldon had begun to walk backwards towards the hall, countering Penny as she slowly came around the coffee table, she stopped in her tracks. The last thing she wanted him to do was dart off to his room like a bunny, which was definitely a possibility that was flashing in his eyes. He licked his lips and spoke softly. "This isn't like tolerating the juvenile antics of a black sheep in the family, Penny. There's a little more to it than that." The raw blaze of angst that suddenly rolled over his eyes caused her breath to catch in her throat. What was happening here?

"Sweetie," she said gently as she took a step closer to him. She was relieved to see that he didn't take a step back. He was staring at the floor now with an air of defeat, his shoulders slumped. She took one long stride to close the gap and placed her hand on the crook of his elbow. "Do you want me to make you some tea so we can sit down and talk about this?" She was very close to Sheldon now, so close she could hear him breathe evenly. A small part of her mind was freaking out—Sheldon hadn't ripped his arm out of her grip yet. He smelled like fabric softener and Scope mouthwash. She snapped out of her daydream when he finally raised his gloomy eyes to hers. Blue eyes so clear and wide she felt a stir inside of her. She suddenly wanted to do whatever she could to stop his obvious suffering, to make those eyes of his brighten again. She waited, not moving a muscle, until he spoke.

"Penny, you know me to be a rational man, do you not?"

"I do," Penny answered, her voice unsure. Then something happened. Sheldon's eyes traced Penny's bare, tanned arm and floated over her skin and across her chest. He was unashamed of letting his stare linger there before it moved again and finally came to rest at the hand she had on his elbow. His stare was so intense that it was almost like she could feel it caressing her. It made her breath quicken. What in the hell was happening to her?

"If I had even the tiniest inkling that talking to you, a woman whose life expertise consists of memorizing the daily specials at the Cheesecake Factory, about my personal affairs would actually benefit me in any way whatsoever, don't you think I would have willingly done so already?" His voice was so silky and smooth, the southern drawl oozing out of his lips that it took Penny a moment to stop staring at his mouth and catch his underlying insult. Her jaw dropped and she ripped her hand off his arm, drawing it hastily back to her body like he had burned her.

"You're an ass," she growled before spinning on her heels and stalking out of the apartment. She made no tact to even close the door behind her as she headed to her own place. She opened her door and whirled around to give Sheldon one last damning glare, daring him to speak. He just stared at her with a blank look and she slammed her door with purpose. She wanted him to see how angry he had just made her that way he would learn some fucking respect. Her skin felt like it was engulfed in flames, she was so angry. And embarrassed, even. What the hell had she been thinking, virtually fan-girling over Sheldon as he practically eye-fucked her just moments before? The man was impossible to understand, barely tolerable, and a complete idiot in any social situation. How did he manage to say so little yet hurt her so much? And why did it bother her? This was hardly the first time Sheldon Cooper had insulted Penny; in fact, he has been much meaner in the past.

Penny considered herself a caring person with a skill for helping her friends through rough times, and that's all she was trying to do for Sheldon. But he couldn't have made his point more clear that he thought so little of her had he just spit in her face. She suddenly found herself in need of a cold, alcoholic beverage and a hot shower, preferably at the same time. Pulling open her fridge, she grabbed the first red label beer bottle she saw then headed to her bathroom to turn on the water in her tub. Just as she ripped the elastic hairband from her blonde locks and yanked her top over her head, she remembered the beer she was holding needed a bottle opener, so she walked topless in her jean shorts to the kitchen. Before she could open the drawers beneath the sink, a familiar rep of knocks followed by the monotonous repeating of her name sounded at her door.

"Mother fucker," Penny cursed aloud.

"That's not very lady like," the muffled reply came from the other side of her door.

"What can I say? I'm just a dumb waitress with a limited vocabulary!" Penny shouted as she yanked the bottle opener out of the drawer, pushed it shut, then walked past her front door and headed to her room. "Goodnight, Sheldon!" She slammed her bedroom door for good measure, knowing he could hear the rattling of the glass in the frame as it shuddered beneath the force.

* * *

_Sixteen years earlier._

Sheldon was a melting pot of emotions. After he watched his brother get introduced to the crowd in the barn to almost deafening applause, he studied Junior who relished the attention, raising his arms and waving to the crowd with a lopsided grin. Then, Sheldon cringed as Junior removed his t-shirt and tossed it over the fence that encased the octagon. He saw a disturbance from the other side of the platform as an African-American man almost half a foot taller than Junior and twice as ripped strolled into the octagon with a confident swagger and straight face, even when the _boos_ started from within the audience. His shirt was already off and Sheldon could see the lines of his muscles crease as he flexed involuntarily.

"That's Hero," Marky informed Sheldon, who had all but forgotten that he was sitting next to him on a row of bales that were set up ringside. "Nobody likes him 'cause he doesn't like to go toe-to-toe like George was saying earlier."

"Why does a man enter a ring without acknowledging the possibility that he has to box?" Sheldon inquired, his eyes never leaving Hero's face.

"Mostly 'cause he's a pussy," Marky said shortly, causing Sheldon's nose to scrunch up at his crude language. "Plus, he's never fought anyone like your brother before. George can dodge anything and throw a right hook that'll make your head spin. He's also crazy agile and shit. Like a jungle cat." Sheldon considered the glazed over look in Marky's eyes as the introductions of the fighters in the ring wrapped up, and the older man between the two fighters tossed his mic out of the ring and explained the fighting rules to the two men. Apparently, Junior's best friend had extreme confidence in his fighting abilities. Sheldon looked inside the octagon again and watched the man they called Hero's eyes narrow as he sized up Junior, while Junior smirked back. That familiar, shit-eating, Cooper boy grin (as Meemaw liked to put it). "Don't worry about your big brother either," Marky interrupted Sheldon's thoughts. He saw the young boy at the edge of his seat, his hands gripping his knees so hard that the knuckles were white. "Prepare for everyone in this barn to get shocked and awed."

Then the bell rang. Sheldon's heartbeat sped up, threatening to explode as he saw Junior, dressed in nothing but jeans, bare-chested and barefoot, start a lap around the octagon, getting a feel for the layout of the platform. Hero stood completely still, his fists balled at his sides. He was in a pair of red trunks, no shirt or shoes either. He watched Junior's spectacle, pumping up the crowd, and pure hatred crossed his features. Marky might have been confident in Junior but Sheldon had begun to tremble. He felt tired suddenly, almost faint as he imagined the possibility that Junior would be beat within an inch of his life by this murderous man in the ring with him. Sheldon didn't know if he could stomach the sight. But after a few more seconds, he learned that he didn't have to worry.

It happened so fast that if Sheldon had covered his eyes with his hands like he was about to do when he saw the men advance on each other, he would've missed it. But he resisted, and he watched as Junior cocked both of his fists up in the classic fighting stance while Hero hopped on the balls of his feet, barking at Junior to come at him. He didn't have to ask twice before Junior landed a brilliantly swift high kick to Hero's face. Sheldon didn't blink or breathe. He watched as Junior's heel connected with the soft under side of Hero's chin, and was truly overcome with shock and awe (just like Marky called it) as the light went out of Hero's eyes and he crumpled into a pathetic heap on the platform. Marky was the first out of his seat, hollering in excitement as the crowd around them rose to their feet in suit, already chanting his last name.

"_Coo-per! Coo-per!_"

Sheldon had never felt anything like it before. He was still terrified, rooted to his seat in fear that moving would somehow cause Hero to rise from his unconscious stupor and go after his brother, but one look at the man on the floor who was surrounded by a few people who were waving smelling salt in front of his nose and Sheldon knew he wouldn't be waking up anytime soon. Then a fiery roll of triumph boiled in his stomach until it bubbled out of his throat and he heard himself scream, too. A high-pitched squeal of relief and victory that got the attention of Junior from the in the middle of the ring. His brother smiled at him widely and winked at the young boy through the chain-link fence standing next to Marky whose fists were still pumping in the air.

Sheldon smiled back at Junior and felt his heart soar.

* * *

_Present day._

She was touching him. _Touching _him. He hoped that she couldn't hear the crash of his heartbeat against his ribcage as she stood so close. He inwardly chastised himself for acting like an adolescent teen with a crush as he smelled the vanilla oil on her skin while she settled her fingers around his elbow. She was making it clear that she wanted to help him, listen to his troubles and perhaps provide advice. Then what, Penny? All of my worries would disappear like magic?

His eyes had a mind of their own as he suddenly found himself studying the soft, plump skin peeking out of the top of Penny's shirt and how the red blush crawled up her neck and reached her cheeks.

He wanted to believe that maybe she could help. But logical thinking won in the end, and his entire thought process focused on getting her silky smooth fingers off of his skin. They burned him, he was burning…with something. He opened his mouth to speak after she offered to make him some tea, and he was poised to blurt out what he was thinking, which was: Penny, I might need you. Instead, he said what came natural to him, which was something rude to separate himself from her. Letting her in would be disastrous. He had learned over the years, it was easier to keep people at arm's length. He looked into Penny's green eyes as he spoke harshly to her, the whole time repeating to himself in his head _I don't want you to get hurt, Penny._

After she turned away from him and left him standing alone in the living room, her face burned an image in his brain. He forgot nothing, it was biologically impossible. And he really wanted to forget the bewildered and enraged look that he had caused her to wear.

What was _happening_? Just a few hours ago, he had been with Penny dropping Leonard off at the airport with nothing but the expectation that life would continue on as it was charted to happen over the next few months. New comic book night would still be held on Wednesdays before Halo night began promptly at 8 o'clock and life made sense. Then one phone call derailed the peace in Sheldon's life, and he was suddenly struck with an unreasonable rage. How dare Penny be angry with him? She couldn't begin to possibly understand what was going to happen now that Junior would be arriving in 24 hours. Before he knew what he was doing, he found himself at Penny's door, raising his fist to begin knocking. After the third rep, he lost his resolve and settled for maybe just apologizing for his behavior and smoothing over the situation. He had no right to be upset with her. Even with such limited social aptitude, Sheldon knew he had been out of line. When his knocks were fruitless and he heard her yell "Goodnight, Sheldon!" followed by the slam of her door inside, he walked back to his lonely apartment in defeat. He was suddenly so exhausted. Perhaps with sleep, he would find the ability to come to terms with Junior's impending visit.

Instead, his sleep was hampered by thoughts of Penny's unblemished skin. Drat.

* * *

Penny's body was running on empty. She hardly got any sleep last night, the adrenaline pumping in her veins from how worked up she still was over Sheldon's behavior last night. So at 5AM, she pulled on some shorts and one of Leonard's old t-shirts, laced up her tennis shoes, and went on a brisk morning run, something she hadn't done in months. The entire time, her mind focused on Sheldon's deep blue eyes and his biting words. The contrast between the two were mind-boggling. She found herself missing Leonard already; he would've made Sheldon apologize for his behavior by now and no matter how unremorseful his apology would have been, she would have accepted it. But Leonard would be gone for months, so Penny had to learn to fend for herself when it came to Sheldon. By the time she got home from her run, she had an hour to get showered and dressed for her early shift at the Cheesecake Factory. She passed apartment 4A and scowled at the closed door, knowing that Sheldon was already awake on the other side and sitting on the couch, watching one of his stupid Saturday morning shows. She had half the mind to bang on the door and wait for him to answer, then clock him on his nose. Instead, she took a deep breath and headed down the stairs.

If Sheldon wanted to be left alone for a week, she would honor his request. She was tired of being on the receiving end of his insults, so maybe a week-long break from the whack-a-doodle would be the remedy that this situation needed. In seven days, things would go back to normal. Right?

Eight hours into her shift and she was ready to go home. But her manager asked her in a voice that left little room for argument to stay for four more hours and man the bar after one of the bartenders called in unexpectedly. Not one to pass up the opportunity for some extra cash, Penny ignored the tender aching in the soles of her feet and dutifully finished the shift. More physically (and mentally) exhausted than she had been in forever, she found herself slowly trudging to the entrance of her apartment building, one hand fishing in her purse for her keys and the other scratching her scalp as she yawned loudly. She was sure that she was hardly a sight for sore eyes right now, but she didn't care. Thoughts of getting into her tub for a soothing bubble bath were suddenly interrupted when she heard quick footsteps hitting the pavement as she reached for the door.

"I'll get that for you, ma'am," a low, silky voice drawled from behind her. She perked an eyebrow up and slowly turned, her hand that had been reaching for the door still in mid-air. Before she could turn completely, a thick, tattooed arm shot out and grabbed the door handle, pulling it all the way open for her. Finally, she craned her neck up to get a good look at the gentlemen who jogged ahead just to open the door for a lady. Good ol' boy manners, she recognized. She let out a gentle _whoosh_ of breath as she came face to face with a pair of familiar clear blue eyes and bow-shaped lips surrounded by a neatly trimmed beard. "Hi there," he said politely, his mouth widening into a boyish grin.

Sheldon Cooper's unwanted guest had arrived.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: First of all, it was TOTALLY not my intention to keep you guys waiting this long for an update! But the summer semester of school is winding down which of course means finals are here. :\ I'll try to update as often as I can-bear with me! **

**Secondly, are you guys tired of me thanking you from the bottom of my heart for your feedback, follows and favorites yet? Too bad. THANK YOU x INFINITY! :] **

**Lastly, I warned you guys this was gonna get ugly before it gets pretty. If you're not okay with violence, this story is no longer for you. In this chapter, we get to the bottom of why George Jr. is not welcome into Sheldon's life. It's a necessary story to tell in order to get the ball rolling! **

**Hope you all enjoy :]**

* * *

When Sheldon woke up that morning, he was already in distress. He performed his morning vocal test (adequate), scrubbed himself raw in a cold stream of shower water (his morning erection wasn't atypical, he was after all a male with a functioning genitalia, but it offended him more than usual nonetheless as the side of the shaft rubbed against his inner thigh), and prepared a bowl of cereal to find that the amount of milk left in the carton was less than sufficient enough to satisfy his preferred shredded wheat to milk ratio (damn that milk thief and her vanilla scented skin). He didn't even bother to switch on the television to watch Dr. Who; nothing was going right for him in the half an hour he had been awake, so who's to say the TV wouldn't short as soon as he flipped it on?

Unable to handle any more disappointing situations that were out of his control, Sheldon tossed the cereal into the trashcan and flung the plastic bowl into the sink as he heard the spoon clang around the metal tub before coming to rest. He stalked over to his spot and flopped down onto the couch cushion, fuming. Figuring this would be a perfect time as any to confront his mother, he picked up the house phone and punched in the numbers to reach 6757 Perry Street in Galveston, Texas. The phone rang three times (Sheldon filled the silence between each ringby mentally saying _Mother_)before she picked up.

"Mother, it's Sheldon."

"Shelly-bean," Mary said in a pleasant voice. "The good Lord does answer prayers. I was just talking to Him about how nice it would be to speak to you today."

"Please don't talk to the 'Lord' about me, Mom," Sheldon said in a scathing tone. "And speaking of unsolicited conversations about my life, why did you tell Junior that he should stay with me this summer?"

"Now, Sheldon," Mary's tone was the exact scathing volume as her son's, but it held a hint of warning. "George is your blood and we do not turn away from our blood when we have the means to welcome them into our home."

"This is not _our_ home, it is _my_ home, and he is most certainly not welcome. I have told you on several occasions that I am not interested in what George Jr. has going on in his life and I refuse to…" Sheldon stopped himself before he finished his sentence. He was going to say that he refused to allow Junior to suck him back into the life he left behind years ago, but his mother was still in the dark about those years. He began to get anxious, rubbing his damp palms on his knees while he held the phone between his ear and shoulder. "I refuse to see him. Besides, Leonard and I have our roommate agreement that specifies in Section 2, paragraph 8, line 6 that house guests of one party are not permitted unless the other party has been notified at least 48 hours in advance."

"I don't like your tone, son," Mary said flatly. "And I don't care about any agreement that you may have made with your little friend. What did George ever do to you?"

A tiny explosion went off behind Sheldon's blue eyes. He very nearly saw stars as his mother's innocent question imploded within his brain and everything came rushing back. All the time Sheldon spent idolizing the façade his brother put on, forced him to do things that Sheldon could never undo, the danger that they had put their selves and others in…

He wished he could tell his mother of how very close she and Missy's lives had once been in danger without them even knowing it.

Suddenly he heard a familiar, bubbly ringtone coming from his laptop. He stared at the dim screen and remembered he had more than one important call to participate in that day. Sighing, he grabbed the phone by his ear in a tight grip. "Nothing. He never did anything to me. I've got to go, Mother. I'll talk to you soon."

"Sheldon, I am not through speaking with you." Her voice wavered as though she had something to say but couldn't find the words. "I…I know I'm not as smart as you darling. And ever since the day the doctors told us about the gift you possess in that beautiful, brilliant mind of yours, I always wished that there was a way that I could always understand you. But sometimes, I just can't. And in times like these," she shuddered a deep breath, "you're going to have to talk to _me_, puddin'." Sheldon squirmed uncomfortably in between listening to his mother get emotional and the continuous ringing of Amy's Skype call. "I know George ain't an easy person to get on with, but what is it that happened? You two used to be tight. You would follow him around like a little puppy when you came home to visit those first few years when you came back from Germany, don't you remember?"

_Of course I remember. I remember everything_, Sheldon thought pitifully. "Bye, Mother." He hung up the phone and placed it quietly on its base. He imagined his mom sadly placing the antique receiver back on its rotary cradle on her end of the line, then he rose from the couch and crossed the room to his desk. He moved his finger along the mouse pad until the monitor lit up and he clicked "Answer" on the Skype window. Amy's friendly face filled his screen immediately. "Hello, Amy."

"Hello, Sheldon." Her smile was wide and her cheeks were rosy. He also noticed something different about her; her hair was swept up into a messy bun. Not used to seeing the angular curve of her jaw line meet her long, elegant neck, he studied her with curious eyes while she made small talk. "How has your morning been so far?"

"Fine," Sheldon lied. Not a twitch could be found as his eyes remained focused on her face. "Why do you look flush? And your hair…it's different."

"Oh," Amy laughed, bringing a hand up to brush some of her bangs out of her eyes. "I just got done working out at the gym with some colleagues. I'm hoping to get some abs, or buns, of steel by the end of this lecture circuit."

"Ah," Sheldon said, nodding. "That also explains your unnerving perkiness. Endorphins."

"Indeed. Listen, Sheldon. I called you last night for our scheduled Skype meeting, but you never answered."

"I apologize," Sheldon said, his voice uncommitted. "I was not feeling very well and had to send our friends home early before going to sleep."

"Oh no." Amy's smile faded at once as she leaned in. "Is it the sweltering heat wave invading Pasadena right now? Or perhaps food poisoning? I'll have Penny stop by the drugstore for you if need be." At the sound of Penny's name, Sheldon's stomach soured. If his morning hadn't been bad enough already, remembering how rudely he treated his friend last night was just the icing on the cake. For a fleeting moment, Sheldon wondered if he could confide in his girlfriend. Amy Farrah Fowler was certainly a person who he had come to trust, as much as he trusted Leonard and Penny. She offered great advice the majority of the time (if only he had the present mind to ask for her opinion when she hadn't been drinking) and he thought maybe if he mentioned the arrival of his older brother, Amy would be able to offer some sort of guidance. But then that would call for having to explain everything about Junior to his girlfriend, and he felt himself fall back to square one. He suddenly felt extremely alone.

"Perhaps the heat," he lied again. It was scary how easy it was becoming. "Look, Amy. My vacation time at the university has accumulated to its fullest extent and I believe it might be a good time to take a week off of work." He watched Amy process his sentence. Even as it came out of his mouth, he didn't believe it.

"You're willingly taking time off? You definitely must not be feeling well." She chewed on her bottom lip and adjusted her glasses, pushing them further up her nose. "Sheldon, I'd offer to come home and take care of you, but I just got here. It would look fairly poor on my recognizance if I gave up this opportunity to…"

"No, no, Amy," Sheldon protested, holding up a weak hand and shaking his head. "It's truly not that serious."

"Well, okay. At least Penny will be there for you. I'll ask her to keep your fridge stocked with fluids. You're very lucky to have her so close by, Sheldon. Make sure you thank her." Sheldon offered a shrug. "Okay, well since it's Saturday and you have nowhere to be, I must insist that you hustle that cute behind of yours back to bed. Go on."

Sheldon grimaced. "Amy, please. I'm a grown man."

"Sure you are. All the toys hanging off the shelves I can see behind your shoulder support this theory unflinchingly."

"They're action figures, Amy. Surely all that working out hasn't turned you into a brainless jock already. I'll talk to you later."

"Goodbye, Sheldon."

"Goodbye, Amy." Before Sheldon could close the top of his computer, he heard Amy protest.

"Wait…I miss you." Her eyebrows lifted in a hopeful manner. She waited while Sheldon felt the gears in his mind work. She had only been gone for two and a half days. How could she miss him? And was he supposed to feel the same way? He looked impatiently into his girlfriend's eyes while she sat an ocean way, waiting with bated breath for his response. He should reciprocate, he realized. They had been together for three years. But he felt a twist in his gut and he knew that between lying to Penny last night and his mother this morning, he couldn't take anymore untruths. So he looked down at the keyboard and lifted his hand to close the laptop.

"Have a pleasant day, Amy." He didn't want to see her face when he hung up.

* * *

_Sixteen years earlier._

After Junior climbed out of the octagon, Sheldon ran up to meet him, Marky at his heels. He carefully navigated through the crowd that had surrounded Junior to congratulate him as he reached for his discarded t-shirt that was still on the floor of the barn where he had tossed it and pulled it over his head. Then he pushed past the crowd to meet Marky and Sheldon halfway. When he reached them, he asked him what he thought of the fight.

"That was the most fascinating display of merciless kickboxing that I have ever seen," Sheldon replied, his awed voice betraying his baby face that was still sickly pale with fright. "For a moment there, I was worried that I was going to vomit from the nerves I was experiencing."

Marky clapped his hand on Sheldon's back as the young boy winced at the contact. "I told you not to worry, kiddo."

Junior cocked his head to the side and grinned. "He's right, Shelly. I told you I'd be alright to drive us home tonight."

"Yes," Sheldon said as he reached into his jacket pocket for some hand sanitizer. "You did." He then proceeded to squeeze a substantial amount of sanitizer into his hand before offering his brother and Marky some. When they declined, he placed the bottle back into his pocket before rubbing his hands together generously, almost purring as the smell of sanitation invaded his nostrils.

Marky laughed as he watched the young boy then turned back to Junior. "So, you ready to go get paid?"

"Almost as ready as I am to get laid," Junior cracked, causing both of the men to erupt into laughter. They bumped fists as Sheldon rolled his eyes. "C'mon Shelly," Junior ordered him to follow as they headed towards the exit. He then lowered his voice as he murmured something to Marky that he thought Sheldon wouldn't be able to hear. "They waiting outside?"

"Saw them slink out soon as Hero's big ass hit the floor."

"Good," Junior said, his smile disappearing for a moment before he turned to look back at Sheldon who was studying him closely. "We're going to get paid for the fight. Why don't you hang back in here for five minutes tops. Watch the next event."

"I…" Sheldon was already shaking his head in protest when Junior stopped walking and turned to face him. "I don't want to watch another fight. I was under the impression that I only had to sit and endure your bout."

"Yeah, but remember what we talked about Sheldon?" Junior asked, his smile faltering a bit. "I need you to study these fighters, let me know what kind of hits they're throwing and moves they're making." He moved closer to Sheldon, placing a hand on his shoulder. "With that crazy memory of yours, you could help me book my next fight with the right guy." Sheldon bristled at the phrase 'crazy memory' as Junior continued. "This is where I need your help most, Sheldon. I make my money by knowing exactly what I'm getting into when I step onto the octagon. I don't agree to a fight unless I have the advantage."

"Your brother says you've got a thing for numbers," Marky suddenly interjected, causing both Cooper boys to break their stare into each other's eyes and glance at him. "This is all math. The point system is easy to learn, and if Junior makes a certain amount of points in a fight, he gets paid a pretty penny."

It was beginning to make sense to Sheldon. His brother brought him here to become an informant. He supposed that his ability to understand any concept, even the art of mixed-martial arts, gave him the advantage, as well as his ability to calculate numbers at an advanced rate and anticipate trends, sort of like counting cards. But it still felt wrong, unclean. Sheldon longed to pull out his hand sanitizer again when Junior shook his shoulder slightly to get his attention. He looked at his older brother and frowned. "You could get into trouble, Junior." He saw his smile completely disappear before adding, "We could get caught. I don't know who you're getting 'paid' by, but it is common sense that it's dangerous scheming people out of their money."

Marky let out a low whistle and shook his head. "Too smart for your own good, kiddo." Then he looked at Junior. "I'm gonna be outside." He nodded at Sheldon then left them alone in the barn as he slunk out the entrance, the door closing behind him. Inside, the focus of the crowd had returned back to the center ring where another pair of men were going toe-to-toe. Sheldon looked uncomfortably into the direction of the cheers while he felt Junior's eyes on him. He suddenly wanted to go home, the earlier excitement of Junior's victory long gone.

"Sheldon," Junior said, his voice suddenly tired. "Sit down and watch the fight, please. Look, you don't have to do anything that you don't want to do. I just thought…I don't know." He picked up his hand and laid it flat on the back of his own neck, rubbing it roughly. "I thought this was something we could do together when you come home for the holidays. I thought you enjoyed the fight tonight."

Sheldon's eyes softened as he saw his brother become vulnerable in front of his very eyes. "I enjoyed watching your victory. But I can't say I'm comfortable with all this under-the-table business." He licked his lips. "I just want to go home, Junior."

"I know. Just stay here while I go get paid. I'll come and get you in a few minutes, I promise." Before Sheldon could object again, Junior ducked out of the entrance, following Marky outside. Sheldon felt the cold gust of air flow in and slap his skin, causing him to shiver. He was frowning deeply as he trudged over to the bales of hay that were near the bar that was still manned by the blonde in tight jeans. She saw Sheldon's skinny frame flop down on the hay and fold in on itself.

"Hey, cutie. Want a shot?"

Sheldon's eyes went wide. "I hardly believe you're qualified to administer vaccinations."

The girl threw her head back and laughed, giving Sheldon a view of her long neck and bouncing cleavage. "I meant a few ounces of tequila in a tiny glass. Here." She demonstrated her definition of a 'shot' by pouring the same bottle of liquor Sheldon had saw her pour for herself earlier into a small glass about two inches tall. She slammed it down on the metal tub and pushed it over to Sheldon. "Try it."

"No thank you," Sheldon huffed. He was grumpy and wanted to go home. Not to his mother's house—to Germany.

"Come on," the girl insisted, her dark brown eyes going round as she pouted her lips. "Those blue eyes of yours are making me go weak in the knees. Loosen up a bit so I can get the nerve to talk to you."

Sheldon's mouth twisted in confusion. "You're talking to me right now." He watched the girl sigh, a resigned noise that many people he met made within 60 seconds of talking to him. "Plus, if you're the one feeling a shortage of confidence, social convention is that _you_ be the one to drink alcohol, not me."

She shrugged her shoulders and threw back the shot, swaying a little bit as her hip caught the side of the metal tub and she steadied herself. "I'm Rachel."

"Sheldon," he answered, his voice clipped as he turned his attention to the fight.

"You really like watching these things?" Her quiet voice might have made anyone else ask her to repeat herself, but Sheldon heard her fine. He didn't turn to look at her as he replied.

"No."

"How old are you, Sheldon?"

"Seventeen." He was beginning to wonder where Junior was.

"I'm eighteen," Rachel informed him, a hiccup rounding out her sentence.

"You're not old enough to drink alcohol, let alone be intoxicated," Sheldon said.

"I'm a bad girl. Wanna spank me?"

"No, I'm afraid I do not," Sheldon sighed. He rose from the bale of hay and headed toward the entrance of the barn when he heard Rachel call out to him.

"The offer still stands if you change your mind!" He rolled his eyes and entered the cold night in search of his brother.

* * *

_Present day._

He worked all day. He couldn't pretend for a moment that it distracted him, and the clock continued to hurtle forward at an alarming pace, but he worked. It centered him slightly as the equations on the board took flight and brought him along on their journey to unlocking the magnificent secrets of the universe. If he could plug in the equation here, he might find the answer. When that didn't work, he tried it again, and again, until it worked. The side of his fist was blackened by the marker and he suddenly stopped, noting that the apartment was growing dimmer. He capped his dry erase marker and walked tentatively to the window at the far west corner of the room. He stared out at the surrounding buildings and foot traffic below him.

Why hadn't Junior shown up by now? Or at least called him? Had Sheldon thought it all up in his mind, or was this all a dream? He had a brief flicker of hope; maybe he _had_ dreamt it all. Junior wasn't coming. It was all in his head. But then the memory of the phone call with his mother had returned to him and he knew that this was reality. He checked his wrist watch; 7:45 PM. Almost exactly 24 hours since he last spoke to his brother. He began hoping something terrible had happened (short of him dying in a car crash) that would have kept Junior from entering Sheldon's life again. Maybe he was bluffing. Maybe he really didn't have Sheldon's address. It was almost too good to be true!

As he continued to try and convince himself that maybe Junior really would leave him be, Sheldon began to relax. He felt his posture straighten, an ache shooting up between his shoulder blades. Realizing he had been walking hunched over all day like he was waiting for the hammer to fall, he urged himself to breathe deeply and to do something normal, routine. It was Saturday night. There was laundry to be done. So he walked to his room, his steps a little lighter, and began to separate the clothes in his dirty hamper into their respective colors and textures. He couldn't help himself as a small smile lined his lips. Then his mind wandered to what Penny was doing right now. Even if she had come home, he wouldn't have heard her door slam because he had been engrossed with his work all day. But it was almost 8:15. Whenever Penny didn't have plans on Saturday night (being that she was in a relationship with Leonard, who was hardly a regular stud on the party scene, this was often), Penny would join Sheldon in the laundry room located on the first floor of their building for Laundry Night.

When the clothes were separated and ready for transport, he lifted the basket and left his apartment, taking four full strides with his long legs before he found himself in front of Penny's door. He hesitated for a moment, listening for any movement in her apartment, and when he heard none he began to knock. After he received no answer, he fretted for a moment. She couldn't still be ignoring him, could she? Penny didn't stay mad at Sheldon for long. Not since the old days when they didn't get along very well. She has come a long way, though, he thought to himself as he began to knock again. After he muttered the last "Penny", he realized she probably was still at work. Shrugging, he turned around and headed down the four flights of stairs, thoughts of Penny intensifying with every step he descended. He thought about how his gaze lingered on her breasts last night and he felt himself blush deeply. Perhaps she was angry at him because of that, too. Although, if his superb memory served him well (and it always did), she hadn't given him any indication that she had been put off by his surveying. In fact, judging by her dilated pupils and quickening of her breath, she had not minded one bit.

As Sheldon rounded the corner to walk down the last flight of stairs, he automatically looked to the right at the entrance of the building. The glass door was shut and beyond that he caught a flash of a familiar mane of wild, blonde curls. He smiled again; his friend was home. He slowed down, taking his time as saw that she was standing in a frigid stance, her legs slightly parted and her hip jutting out to the side. Her shoulders were pointed outward due to her arms were tightly crossed in front of her. His smile disappeared as he watched the man whom she was speaking to raise his hand and give Sheldon a wave through the door.

Some things really are too good to be true.

* * *

_"I'll get that for you, ma'am," a low, silky voice drawled from behind her._

Penny knew she was being rude, but she allowed her stare to loiter. It wasn't everyday she saw a hulking, tattoo-ed version of Dr. Sheldon Cooper staring back at her with eyes as eager as her own. She was momentarily sidetracked by the subtle scar illuminated on his skin by the lights outside. It was a mysterious zig-zag that reached the spot where his cheek and ear met, and came down until it disappeared into his beard. But it did nothing to hinder his familiar, boyish good looks. "You're George Jr."

"Don't you hate it when your reputation precedes you?" he asked, his voice teasing. "Then you can't get a chance to defend yourself." They were both silent for a moment while Penny's mouth hung open. Just when she thought he was gracefully avoiding her question, he dipped his head and his smile widened. "George Cooper Jr, in the flesh. What's your name, honey?"

Penny's mouth snapped shut. She abruptly thought of the younger Cooper boy upstairs who was undoubtedly going out of his mind while he awaited his brother's arrival. Suddenly speaking to George Jr. felt like a slight towards her friendship with Sheldon. He obviously wasn't welcome in this apartment, and probably not even this town. And though Penny still felt a little sore at the physicist for acting like a flat-out asshole, she felt herself stiffen at the sound of George Jr. calling her 'honey', inexplicably reminded of the angst that flashed in Sheldon's eyes last night when he let one minor detail slip about his brother.

_"This isn't like tolerating the juvenile antics of a black sheep in the family, Penny. There's a little more to it than that."_

Folding her arms and squaring her shoulders at George Jr. as he let the door close behind her, Penny felt like a bouncer at a club. She found herself utterly devoted to maintaining Sheldon's peace of mind, even if she didn't know what she was actually protecting him from. "My name's not Honey, that's for sure."

"It should be," George Jr. countered, his smile never faltering. "So, you gonna keep standing guard outside of Sheldon's house made of bricks or are you gonna let the big, bad wolf in?" Penny imagined that George Jr. was the type to huff and puff to try and blow this place down.

"Sheldon's not here," she lied in a flat voice. "He's working late."

"Oh, Nameless," he addressed her as she frowned deeper at him. "We both know it's Saturday night, the university is closed, and I have it on good authority," he pulled his cell phone out from his back pocket and held it up, "that Sheldon's on vacation." The smirk on George Jr.'s face never wavered, and Penny would never admit aloud that it gave her a chill. He certainly was a wolf dressed in dark jeans and a black polo tee. She noted the brown leather duffle bag hanging off of his shoulder. He was unseemingly deterred by her lame attempt at lying about his brother's whereabouts, but Penny tried again anyway.

"He's really there. I have to go pick him up actually." She tightened the grip of her crossed arms, bringing them closer into her chest as George Jr. humored her, amusement dancing across his face. "I was just stopping here after work to change, because after I go get him, we're going to a have dinner at a friend's house. Hope you're hotel isn't too far away for you to have come all the way over here for nothing. I'll tell Sheldon you stopped by."

"Or I could tell him myself," George Jr. chuckled as he raised an open palm and waved at something over her shoulder. She closed her eyes and hissed a curse. Penny didn't have to turn around to know that behind her and inside the doors of the apartment building was Sheldon taking the last step to the first floor and holding a basket full of dirty clothes.

Saturday night at 8:15pm on the dot. Of course-it was laundry night.

George Jr. winked at her before moving around to reach for the door again and pulling it open for her. "After you, Nameless." She rolled her eyes and walked in front of him, coming face to face with Sheldon. She tried to communicate with her eyes that she had did everything she could to keep his brother away (short of kneeing him in the balls). Sheldon didn't look at her at all as he watched his brother follow her inside. She wanted to touch him, to wave her arms, to scream for him to run away while she created a diversion, but instead she just remained silent as she watched the brothers interact for the first time. George Jr. parked himself between Penny and Sheldon. "Little brother."

"Junior." Sheldon's voice was strained and Penny could see his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed once, twice and three times before he finally croaked out another word. "You're here."

"I promised you I was comin'," the older man grinned, his arms crossed. Penny thought it was peculiar that he hadn't reached in for a hug or a hand shake, but then she realized this man was related to Sheldon Cooper. He probably knew that contact was not in the cards. She went back to studying Sheldon carefully, waiting for him to give her any indication that he may be in trouble. Her heart was pounding so hard she thought it might dent her rib cage.

"Penny," Sheldon finally addressed her, causing her to widen her eyes in surprise. "I trust that you are…well?" His face was ashen but his eyes were focused directly on hers. For some reason, she felt like he was asking her if she was okay, unharmed. Apparently the thought of Penny alone with his brother had shaken him. She licked her lips and nodded, then spoke before George Jr. could turn around and see her nervous face. "Yeah, I'm okay. Just tired from work. I saw your brother as I was walking inside."

"So she _does_ have a name!" George chortled as he turned back to face Penny. "Cute." He whirled around again to Sheldon. "She was goin' on about how you two were gonna go have dinner at a friend's house tonight? Thought you were at work. It woulda been too bad had she driven all the way to the school to go get you for nothing." Penny scowled and looked at Sheldon who kept his eyes on her.

"Oh," he said, finally moving his gaze to his brother. "Would you like to come upstairs, Junior?"

"Sure," George Jr. agreed then once again faced Penny. "You coming, Penny? I'd love to get to know the sweet girl who's so very protective of my brother. You know, come to think of it, my mom and Missy have talked about you before. Oh, they sure do like you."

"Yes, Penny," Sheldon swallowed hard as he turned to face the stairs. "You're welcome to join us."

"Goddamn right I'm joining you," Penny muttered. There wasn't anything in the world that would make her leave Sheldon alone with this man. She had never seen Sheldon so listless, withdrawn. It was like the moment he saw his brother, his soul fled from his body, and an empty shell of Sheldon was now automatically going through the motions for him while he hid somewhere safe. It pulled at her heart strings. She dutifully brought up the rear as the two men walked ahead of her, her eyes on George Jr.'s back the entire trek upstairs. When they finally reached apartment 4A, she continued to watch the older man while he tossed his duffle bag on the floor and it slid behind the couch. She turned and looked at Sheldon as he placed his laundry basket on his desk chair and walked directly to the kitchen, clutching the table and the counter for support. She hurried to his side. "Sheldon," she demanded, tugging on the tail of his shirt. "Are you okay?"

"Sheldon, you have any beer?" George Jr. called from the couch. At least he wasn't sitting in Sheldon's spot.

"Sheldon?" Penny repeated his name. "You're scaring me."

Sheldon finally snapped out of his catatonic state and glanced down at Penny, giving her a full view of his hypnotizing blue eyes. Very slowly, color returned to his cheeks as he looked her over, his neck bent to give her his full attention. "Don't be scared, Penny. Everything's alright."

She was suddenly very aware of how close they were standing next to each other again, but she forced herself to focus on the matter at hand. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Of course." He gave her a tight, forced smile. "Penny. Can I ask you a favor?"

"Yes," she answered a little too eagerly. She gasped as one of Sheldon's hands was suddenly holding her elbow, anchoring himself to her. His fingers were damp with sweat, but she never wanted the warm sensation of his long fingers on her skin to stop.

"No matter what you hear tonight," he began, licking his lips and stealing a glance at his brother who had found the remote and was flipping through the channels. "No matter what you see, can you try not to think differently of me?"

Sheldon Cooper did not care what people thought of him on principle. Well, certainly not what people who weren't regarded scientists or Nobel Prize winners thought of him. The request chilled Penny to her core. She could only nod, barely comprehending. "I won't think differently of you, Sheldon."

"Thank you." He released his hold on her before turning to George Jr. and addressing him with novel Sheldon Cooper formality. "Junior, as my guest it is my job to offer you a beverage. However, before I do, I think it is far more important to establish the parameters of your visit." He stepped out of the kitchen and into the living area, stopping right next to the TV. "How long will you be staying? What is the purpose of your visit? And the most essential: how can I get you to leave me alone for good?"

George Jr. smiled up at his brother from where he sat on the couch, a knowing, feral grin that sent a tingle up Penny's spine.

_Crap-on-a-cracker, what is this guy's deal?_

* * *

_Sixteen years earlier._

Though the air was cold, Sheldon welcomed the clean breeze into his lungs as he inhaled deeply. He would have to burn his clothes, which was a shame. They smelled of stale cigarettes and farm animals, and he would never get the stench off no matter how many times he soaked them in detergent. He heard a coyote howl in the distance and he became agitated when he didn't see Junior anywhere. He took off on foot, heading east to circle the barn in search of his brother. Soon the flood lights at the front of the barn no longer lit his path and he relied on the moonlight in the clear sky to shine down on the earth, assisting Sheldon so that he didn't step in any 'cow pies' or fire ant hills. He alternated between looking down and looking around for Junior. When he did a full circle around the barn, he felt a cold feeling of dread soak his insides. His brother wouldn't have left him alone with these heathens, would he?

Sheldon suddenly took off in a sprint as he headed towards the field where his mother's station wagon had been parked. He didn't stop until he reached the first row of cars and heard a group of men talking. He slowed down and walked quietly between two parked pick-up trucks, edging closer to the voices. A small wave of relief came over him as he heard his brother's voice. It sounded angry, insistent, and Sheldon paused to listen while he stayed hidden behind a large Ford F-350 truck bed. Peering around the tailgate, he saw four men, including Junior and Marky, standing in a semi-circle. Their faces were illuminated by the enormous full moon.

"You said four gee's," Marky said in a high, almost taunting voice, to one of the men beside him. "You said you would come prepared tonight."

"I said I'd pay if he fought him the whole first round," a young blonde man dressed in light blue jeans and a pink sweater vest with a white shirt underneath argued with Marky. "That wasn't a fucking fight, man."

"You didn't say shit about how long you wanted the round to go," Junior spoke up. Sheldon held his breath as his brother took a step towards the blonde kid. The other man next to Marky, a short guy with a stocky frame, took a step back from the confrontation.

"Am I hearing what I think I'm hearing?" Marky asked Junior, slapping his arm with the back of his hand. "This guy saying he's not gonna pay us?"

"I'm not saying you're not getting paid," the blonde kid's voice suddenly wasn't so tough as he watched his friend continue to step away. "I just don't think it's fair for me to give you a full four grand when the fight didn't even last 6 seconds."

"We told you we'd win it in one round," Marky barked, his cool, laid-back demeanor from earlier dissipating before Sheldon's very eyes. "Now give us the fucking money." He lurched forward, grabbing the kid by the collar of his shirts. "Don't make me take it from you." Suddenly, the blonde kid's stocky friend stopped moving as he watched Marky shake his friend roughly. Junior squared up, watching closely.

"Abel, now!" the blonde kid screamed at his friend. Sheldon watched what happened next unfold in an abnormal slow motion, like the men in front of him were moving in molasses. The kid named Abel whirled around and made a run for it, hopping over the hood of a car and disappearing from view. Sheldon fell to the ground slowly and waited on hands and knees to see what would happen next.

"Get that fucking kid!" Marky screamed at Junior, who had taken off towards the parked cars where Abel had ran to. Marky snarled at the kid who was still in his grip. "Fucking college kids think you can come home to make some bets and not pay the piper when it's all said and done? Huh?" While he berated the blonde kid, who struggled to get free, Sheldon's eyes scoured the parked cars for Junior to emerge. When he finally did, he came running full speed at Marky.

"Marky, move!" Junior's yell rang out, ricocheting off the metal of the cars as Sheldon averted his eyes back to Marky. He saw Abel appear next to him, but now he was swinging a wooden bat. The whistle of the bat slicing through the air just inches away from Marky's face echoed through the night. Sheldon watched Marky let go of the blonde kid and throw himself to the ground for cover while Junior ran at Abel and tackled him like a linebacker. The scuffle didn't last long as Junior quickly grappled Abel flat to the floor and Marky stood up and grabbed the blonde kid off the dirt as he scrambled to get away. Holding him by the collar again, Marky spit in his face then head-butted him.

"Fucking piece of shit!" Marky yelled as the blonde kid crumpled to the ground and didn't move. Then he turned around and picked up the bat from the grass, holding it expertly in his hands and stalked over to where Junior was pinning Abel to the ground. "Let him up," Marky ordered.

"You're gonna get it now," Junior's strained voice teased Abel as he pulled him up from the dirt and pushed him at Marky. "On your knees, you little shit."

Abel fell down, raising his hands up as if he was surrendering. "I only did what he told me to do," he insisted in a panicked voice as Marky and Junior loomed over him. He pointed at the unconscious kid beside them.

"You think that's gonna save you now?" Marky asked before he turned around and gave a practice swing into the air next to Abel. The man watched him carefully, his arms still up near his head. "You think you were just gonna beat the shit out of me and my boy George?"

"I'm sorry, man," Abel pleaded, shaking his head. "I'm sorry."

"Me, too," Marky mumbled before reeling his arms back, holding his position. "Move, Junior. This is gonna get messy." Junior laughed, a sharp bark of glee as he moved away. Sheldon thought the sound of his laugh was terrifying, his brother who had been so warm and kind to him tonight, laughing at the inevitable demise of the man named Abel kneeling for mercy before him and his deranged friend wielding a bat.

Then Marky brought the bat down hard and fast, aiming straight for Abel's head. The connecting of the bat to Abel's skull was as loud as the crack of a whip, and it was a sound Sheldon would never be able to get away from. Not in his deepest sleep, not on his best day. Then Sheldon ran, the echoes of screaming following him the whole way as he moved deeper into the field, away from the cars and the barn and into the moonlight. When he finally slowed down, he realized the screams were coming from his own body and he was alone. Lost and disoriented, he folded over and lost his footing, already vomiting into the tall grass before he fell onto his hands and knees, clutching the earth between his fingers.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Oh, the plot thickens! ;) Hope I didn't lose too many readers with all the dark stuff, but everybody has a story, and Sheldon's is important to tell…**

**Your feedback/favorites/follows mean everything to me! Thanks for sticking with me, guys. The best is yet to come-I won't let you down. Enjoy chapter 5!**

* * *

_Sixteen years earlier._

_"Oh, shit. Oh, shit shit shit." Junior kept his eyes on his left hand, the small pocket between his thumb and index finger where a hot splash of crimson had stained his skin. It was scalding and it didn't belong to him. He kept repeating the only two words that would form in his brain and leave his lips, a mantra that kept him grounded after his world was just tossed around and flipped upside down. "Oh, shit." _

_Marky spat at the ground and tossed the bat on the motionless lump of a person that used to be Abel. After the connecting of the bat to his skull, he had slumped to the dirt, a pillow of dust surrounded him before falling lifeless around him. His knees jerked for a few seconds and they came up to his chest, like he was settling into the fetal position for a nice, long nap. His breath rattled; each inhale was a labor. At least he was still breathing. Junior looked down and saw that the crimson on his own hand had come from the gash open on the side of Abel's head, and he knew that he wouldn't be breathing for long if they didn't call for help. The blonde guy that Marky had head-butt earlier was beginning to stir from his prone position in the grass._

_"Oh, shit," Junior repeated. Suddenly, a strange siren sounded in the distance, a wailing that caused drops of cold sweat to race down Junior's back. What kind of siren made that noise? "Shit…"_

_"Shut the fuck up, bro!" Marky bellowed, his eyes on Junior. His voice sounded muddy, watered down. Junior's eyes snapped up and he looked at his best friend like it was the first time he had ever seen him. _

_"What did you do, man?" Junior's heart pounded in time with the siren as it wailed on._

_"Me?" Marky pointed a finger at his own chest, jabbing himself in the center of his ribcage. "You're gonna pin this all on me?" He opened his mouth to say more, but stopped and turned around, his large hands on his hips. "What the fuck is that? Screaming?" _

_Junior's senses were suddenly razor sharp and he nearly snapped his neck as he turned to face the barn. The wailing got quieter, further away. "Sheldon!" He took off in the direction of the noise, the horrible, agonizing screams of a boy who should never have been there in the first place. "Sheldon, come back!" For once, he was grateful for the set of lungs on his little brother; he used to cringe as a kid after he swiped a toy away from a toddling Sheldon who would in turn shriek like a banshee until his mother came to rescue him. He had hated that noise back then like nails on a chalkboard. But now this was the only navigation he had to find his brother. "Where are you, Shelly?" _

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine." Saliva and small morsels of vomit dribbled from his lower lip. He reeled back and produced one last spit then wiped the remains from his face. He flipped over onto his back and attempted to anchor himself to the axis of the earth. As it raced in rotation, things were happening that Sheldon couldn't control. But when he looked up and blinked away the tears that coated his pupils, they seeped out and the sky became clearer. He felt at one with the universe. In this part of town, there were no tall buildings and big city lights. When he looked up, there was only a dark purple mass, brilliantly ignited by the universe's jewels known as stars. He sighed in content. "You make me happy when skies are gray." Singing along with Meemaw's voice in his head helped drown out the cracking noise of the splinters in the wood that made contact with Abel's head just moments before.

"Sheldon!"

"You'll never know dear, how much I love you…"

"Sheldon, oh my, God! Are you okay?"

Sheldon felt rather than heard Junior collapse next to him on his knees, and then the subsequent shaking of his shoulders to grab his attention. "Shh, Junior," Sheldon pleaded for silence. For the majesty of what the universe provided for him, for all, it required silence.

"Little brother, we've gotta go. Come on, get up." Junior was beginning to yank on Sheldon's arm, placing a hand under his back and urging him to rise.

"Nasty, is that puke?" Marky's voice suddenly invaded Sheldon's ears, causing him to stop singing. Like a filmstrip derailing from its projection spools, the beauty of the stars and the cosmos combusted and the picture melted away. Sheldon slowly rose into a sitting position as Junior's worried face came into view, his mouth open as he struggled to regain his breath. Then Sheldon's eyes focused on Marky.

"The probability that you killed that man is extremely high," Sheldon accused, his eyes glassy.

"You spying little shit," Marky began but was cut off when Junior jumped up from his spot in the dirt near Sheldon and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt.

"You _never_ talk to him like that," Junior snarled, spittle flying from his lips and landing on Marky's red face. Sheldon winced. _So many germs exchanged between so many people tonight._ While the two older men scuffled, Sheldon felt a shell begin to materialize over him, spanning over every square inch of his skin, hardening and tightening. The shell chased his initial fear and anxiety away. He watched his brother have a power struggle with a man his size as they rolled around in the grass, cursing and fists flying. Then he looked back up at the stars as the shell completed its exterior around him. As his new layer of protection enveloped him, he could feel that the 17 year-old child he was only hours ago was safe, forever enclosed inside his shielded covering.

This world is dangerous.

"You and your _Rainman_ brother got another thing coming if you think you're gonna pin all of this on me, George," Marky gasped as he and Junior finally separated, staring at each other from their respective corners. "I fucking own you."

"I never, ever said to try and kill the guy," Junior protested, his fists digging into the dirt beneath him. "This is not what I agreed to, Marky, goddamnit."

Sheldon rose to his feet, dusted off his pants, then walked over to where the two men were on their hands and knees, spitting out blood and wiping sweat from their swollen, bruised faces. He stared down at his brother with empty eyes, the moonlight reflecting off of his pupils and giving them a silver effect, like coins. He imagined the sight may have startled Junior because his brother fell back on his heels and peered up at Sheldon, looking uncomfortable. "Junior," he began in his calm, signature voice. His hands were clasped behind him at the base of his spine again, a collected Sheldon stance. "Are you quite done here? I'm ready to return home."

The two older men stared at Sheldon like he had grown another head. Junior wiped his palms on his jeans then cleared his throat. "Uh, Sheldon. Are you okay?"

"I'm experience mild discomfort in my throat, onset by my vomiting just a few minutes ago, but other than that, I'm far better than the man your friend just clobbered like a Neanderthal. Now, can we go?"

"Sheldon," Junior said, bewildered. "I want you to know that I had no idea that was going to happen."

"Fuck you," Marky groaned from a few feet away, attempting to rise to his feet. "You've helped me rough up some assholes who didn't want to pay us before."

Junior ignored him as he got up and reached out to Sheldon to rest a hand on his shoulder. He pulled back when Sheldon dodged the contact, his eyes still silver, defiant. "Sheldon, I'm not going to hurt you."

"I said I'm ready to go."

"Alright," Junior agreed, his eyebrows furrowing. "Let's go." He headed in the direction of the cars while Sheldon followed closely behind.

"So you're just gonna leave me to clean up the mess again, huh?" Marky called from where he was standing. The two brothers pivoted to face him. His eyebrow, a fiery red the same as the hair on his head, was bleeding profusely. "I'm always the clean-up crew."

"This is your mess, Marky," Junior said. "I don't want anything to do with you anymore. You've got my little brother involved, and I can't allow that."

"I fucking _own _you, didn't you hear me?" A throaty laugh bubbled out of Marky's mouth before he spit out a blood-stained glob of saliva. "You fight for me. You walk away now, and you're fucking with my money." He paused for effect, nodding his head in the direction where Abel laid. "You saw what happens when people fuck with my money." He pointedly glanced at Sheldon. "And you promised me that Shelly here would help us make more. So by association, I guess that means I own him, too."

Junior's breathing picked up. He gasped for breath, his body shaking in anger. Sheldon processed Marky's information and then he looked sideways at his brother. The memory of earlier that night, the two of them sitting at the kitchen table while Junior opened his big blue eyes wide and pleaded for Sheldon to join him tonight so that they could 'spend some time together' taunted him. He knew Junior was a lot more cunning than he lead everyone to believe. And Sheldon was suckered in. "What does _owning me_ entail, Marky?" Sheldon asked in a stern tone.

"It means you scout out the fights that will make me the most money until I'm through with you. And if you and your brother don't get on the same page with me about what happened here tonight, and I mean real fast, then we're going to have some problems."

* * *

_Present day._

Penny had seen Sheldon make this face before.

Crossed arms over his dark blue Superman shirt and green long-sleeved thermal, feet together, knees locked in a pair of khaki slacks, and his head ever so slightly leaning forward. His eyebrows were perched so high in expectation she thought they were in danger of flying off of his face. Sheldon had once made this expression at her, when he nearly condemned their friendship for good after she made him miss the opportunity for meeting Stan Lee while he had to pay a traffic ticket. It didn't feel great being on that end of Sheldon's death stare, but George Jr. seemed to be taking it alright. He was a stark contrast to the piles of books and Star Trek-y thingies on the shelves behind him, but he looked more at home than anything, comfortably resting his ankle on the opposite knee as the moments of silence since Sheldon asked him what he was doing there ticked by.

_"How long will you be staying? What is the purpose of your visit? And the most essential: how can I get you to leave me alone for good?"_

"Well?" Sheldon was high strung and it put Penny on edge as well. The brilliant physicist looked very close to leaping over the coffee table, the only flimsy piece of furniture between him and his brother, and clobbering him. His elbows were razor sharp as they pointed out, his arms closed tight around his chest. She yearned to say something, do something, anything that would relax him. But she couldn't make a sound; the tension was suffocating.

"Penny, darlin'," George Jr. finally spoke. "You mind leaving me and my baby brother alone? Apparently we have some things to discuss." His signature smile was plastered on his face, and Penny was beginning to see how hard he worked to keep up such an easy-going appearance. In the harsh lights of the apartment, she could make out that at the corners of his ocean-colored eyes were the barely-there hints of crow's feet and just beneath them were the dark shades of bags beneath his lids.

"Not on your life," Penny said flatly at the same time Sheldon said, "She stays." She snuck a look at her friend, unable to mask her surprise. She half-expected Sheldon to agree that she should go (not that she wouldn't have put up a hell of a fight). It was odd feeling this tether to Sheldon, this inexplicable need to hover over him in the presence of his brother. Penny would truly like to think that this was a reaction she would have over any of her friends, over Leonard. But at this moment, she only saw the friend she had in front of her.

George Jr. finally stood up and stretched to his full height, crossing his arms in front of him. He was a grungy, bulky reflection of Sheldon as they stared each other down. "I don't want anyone in our business that doesn't have to be, you understand what I'm saying to you, Shelly?" His lips pursed and Penny realized she had seen that face before, too; it was the face of someone losing their patience with Sheldon Cooper. He turned his body so that he was looking at Penny and said, "It'd be safer for you if you'd just run along now."

To Penny's alarm, she saw Sheldon tremble, his slender frame almost vibrating. Penny felt rage building inside of her as it became too much to watch him become undone. It took a lot for a person to make Sheldon squirm in discomfort being that he walked around with a constant air of superiority that was a brand all his own, but George Jr. seemed to be an expert in knowing which buttons to push that would bring Sheldon to his metaphorical knees. Penny quite frankly had had enough.

"Listen, asshole, you don't scare me." She took a step closer to the couch, her eyes narrowed and focused on George Jr.'s face. Penny's father raised a scrappy little girl, almost foolishly so, and sometimes she had trouble distinguishing which fights she could finish and which she shouldn't even bother to start. But between Sheldon's brother stopping by when he clearly wasn't welcome, and his back-handed threat to _her_, the Omaha All City Junior Rodeo first place ribbon winner two years in a row, she had no reservations offering a threat of her own to the large man. "If you're going to stay here, you'd better get used to my face because I'm not going anywhere."

There they were, in a classic three-way stare off. A Nebraskan lion of a woman. A good ol' boy from Texas. And his little brother, who didn't seem so little anymore. A triad of arms crossed and eyes tight.

Finally, Sheldon broke the silence. "What do you want, Junior?" It seemed as though he were a broken record, asking the same question over and over again. His tone suddenly took on a resigned, almost pleading manner.

George Jr. stared hard at Penny, then sideways at Sheldon before he finally uncrossed his own arms and brought one of his hands to the back of his neck, rubbing it slowly. The other hand grabbed the waist of jeans and pulled them up a fraction. He was stalling. Finally, his limbs swung low at his sides and he looked away from his brother, staring anywhere but him. "I'm sorry Shelly. If there was another way to do this, I would've done it. But I need you, one more time."

"I told you eight years ago that I was finished."

"And I told you there is no other way. This will be the last time, you have my word…" George Jr. paused, pointedly staring at Penny before finishing. "You're all I have." A spark of resentment crossed his features before he tore his eyes away from Penny, as if it maddened him to be so honest in front of her. Like it was her fault he was showing weakness. Penny had once been into this type of man; the gorilla-sized, quick-talking, _who-gives-a-shit?_ attitude type. The sort of man that constantly needed excuses to be made for him so that he could get by on his good looks and fake charm. She suddenly hated George Jr. In an attempt to relax, she eased the tension in her shoulders a little bit, her Cheesecake Factory uniform suddenly feeling disheveled and she craved a relaxing bubble bath. Rolling her neck around, she snuck another glance at Sheldon. Penny reminded herself that her job here was to help him in any way she could, but it didn't seem like George Jr. was going to make his point while she just stood there. She took pity on him for Sheldon's sake, and excused herself to the kitchen.

"Sheldon, I'm going to make some tea. I'll be right behind you if you need me." She ignored the scoff that George Jr. did not try hard to conceal, and she made her way to Sheldon. She placed a flat palm on the center of his chest, and only then did his face soften and his eyes detach from the death glare he had been giving his brother all night. They landed on Penny's face, searching her for something she didn't know. She wasn't sure where all of these sudden urges to touch him were coming from, but she wanted him to know that she was within his reach. He seemed to appreciate it, and he nodded stiffly, his eyes never leaving her face.

"Thank you, Penny," he whispered, swallowing hard. He never shifted away to remove himself from under her touch, and it wasn't lost on Penny how he infinitesimally leaned into her hand. A swirling, warm feeling evolved in her abdomen and she removed her hand before heading to the sink to fill the kettle with water.

George Jr. let out a low whistle. "Quite a girlfriend you've got yourself there, Shelly." Neither of them corrected him. Penny's face was suddenly hot as she listened from the kitchen.

"Stop filibustering and continue with your point. How can I be sure this will be the last time you need me to help you? How do I know by offering my services, you won't show up on my doorstep in another decade?" Sheldon had begun to pace back and forth between his work desk and his whiteboard, covering a lot of area with only one or two strides.

"Because I'm fighting Marky."

Sheldon had come to rest. Penny had turned away from the boiling kettle on the stovetop and watched him carefully. His chest had begun to rise and lower more quickly, his bottom lip quivered. He balled his fists at his sides and Penny watched in rising panic as he drew in loud, ragged breaths. "Sheldon, are you okay?" He ignored her and she almost went to him, but he whirled around and met George Jr.'s eyes evenly.

"This _will_ be the last time you need me." His voice lowered ominously. "Because one of you is going to die."

"Kill him or die trying, little brother," George Jr. confirmed in a composed southern drawl, nodding his head.

Penny grabbed onto the table in front of her for support as her equilibrium wavered.

_"No matter what you hear tonight, no matter what you see, can you try not to think differently of me?"_

* * *

_Sixteen years earlier._

The plan was in motion. Sheldon watched from afar without a hint of feeling as they returned to the section of the field where they had left Abel and the blonde kid, but the latter was gone.

"He left his friend here to die," Junior choked out. Sheldon watched as Marky picked up the bat he had wielded not minutes before and wiped it furiously with the inside of his shirt to hide evidence of his fingerprints.

"You'll want to use fabric that doesn't have your disgusting sweat and DNA on it," Sheldon heard a voice call out. It took him a moment to register that it was his own voice. Marky turned to look at him before searching around frantically for something else to wipe the bat with. He reached into the nearest car's open window and found a plain red sweatshirt and began to wipe the bat down again.

"Sheldon, you can walk to the car now and wait for us." Junior had come up behind Sheldon and talked slowly and deliberately. "You had nothing to do with this, you can walk away."

"Marky made it clear that I can do no such thing," Sheldon said, his voice stony. "In fact he said that if I leave his sight, he'll assume I went to the cops. And if I go to the cops, he'll kill our mother and Missy." Turning to face his older brother, Sheldon's face was as empty as he felt. He could feel nothing. His shell was protecting him. "Is that a risk you're willing to take?"

"Sheldon," Junior started, then shook his head and looked at the sky. Sheldon watched one lone tear fall from his right eye and disappear into his beard. "I don't know how I can ever do right by you again."

"You can't," Sheldon replied simply. He pulled the hand sanitizer from his jacket pocket and poured the liquid into his hands. Then he added, "But I'll help you both scout contenders to fight. I'll come back to Texas every few months until my lecture circuit in Germany is done, and then I'll move home."

"You will?" Junior's voice wavered, threatening to crack. "Why?"

"It has long eluded me the need to depend on others, and I don't suppose I'll ever understand it." Sheldon rubbed his palms together until the lemon-fresh scent of the soap filled his nostrils again. He stared down at his hands as they air-dried. "But if the lives of my mother and sister have fallen upon my shoulders, then I will answer the call of duty." When his hands were dry, he looked up and met Junior's eyes. "And that's why I'll never be more like George Cooper than you."

They stared at each other in silence until Marky jogged over to them. "Let's go," he grunted. "That pussy that left his friend here is probably halfway back to Harvard by now. He won't rat us out either—if his daddy ever found out where he was tonight, he'd take away the Porche."

"And Abel?" Junior asked. "We just leaving him here?"

"Yeah, we're just leaving him here. I don't know the guy." Marky rolled his eyes. "What, you wanna take him to the hospital?" When Junior didn't respond, Marky pushed him angrily. "Stick to the plan, George. We all leave and go home, right now, before anyone comes out here and sees us." He turned his back on Junior to meet Sheldon's eyes. "Tomorrow we come back to watch the fights so we can scout us some fighters. Got it?" Without waiting for either of them to answer, Marky slipped between them and disappeared into the night.

"Take me home, Junior," Sheldon said quietly. The two brothers walked silently back to their mother's station wagon, started the engine, and bounced around in the cab as they made their way out of the uneven field.

Later that night, after a shower of boiling temperatures, Sheldon lay in bed. He had to share a room with Junior, but he was relieved to see that after they arrived home, Junior had taken off on foot somewhere around their property. Sheldon never knew where he went that night but was only grateful that for three hours, he was allowed to stare at the ceiling in peace until sleep overcame him just as the first rays of dawn snuck into the room from behind the drapes.

* * *

_Present day._

"You're fighting him here?" Sheldon asked. He was fully aware that Penny was still there. He couldn't tell at the moment if it made him feel relieved or anxious. With her there, he felt his impenetrable shell begin to crack. The one constant Dr. Sheldon Cooper had been so successful in maintaining, his ability to distance himself from others just enough to keep the past behind him, was beginning to dissolve. He liked to imagine his tightly coiled existence in his cozy apartment and at Caltech like a double-helix bond, the nitrogen bases connected and the sugar phosphate backbones sturdy because of his eye for detail and order (from his bathroom schedule to his scheduled date nights with Amy to what shirt he wore on what weekday). He never colored outside of the lines. Now it felt like it was all unraveling. But knowing Penny was there and would finally know the story calmed him in a most peculiar way.

"Yeah…" Junior turned away and began to pace between the small space between the arm chair and the front door. "I heard he moved out here a couple of years ago, slummin' it in East Hollywood. He trains at a gym there and my connects gave me a call to come in and handle it."

They were quiet for a moment before Sheldon finally released the cross-armed position he had been holding for what seemed like hours, relaxing his arms at his sides. "You don't have to do this." His voice was soft as he experienced a rare outpouring of fear for his brother. "Why haven't you walked away from it all? Like I did?" He watched his brother stop pacing and stare at the wall that held he and Leonard's Game of Thrones sword.

"You sure did walk away, Shelly." Junior's voice was barely able to contain its bitterness. "It's not that easy for me." He turned and faced Sheldon. "I'm not some genius with the good sense to leave the backwoods of east Texas behind. I've tried doing something else, being someone else. But I am a _fighter_. And I'm sorry that I've dragged you into situations that you shouldn't have been in, I wished to God it had been different. But you and I both know that Marky has got this comin'."

"You…" Sheldon was at a loss for words because Marky did have it coming. "You've got to let me think about this before I commit to anything, Junior." Without knowing why, Sheldon turned around and finally faced Penny. She stood motionless, the stove turned off and the kettle for the tea long forgotten. Her golden hair settled in loose waves around her face that had paled visibly. Even with his vast inaptitude for emotional capacity, Sheldon could read the look on Penny's face from a mile away: fear. "Penny?" He wanted to make sure she was doing as she promised which was not to think differently of him. Not yet, not when so much was still left to be said.

As if understanding him, she opened her mouth to speak but no sound came out. Sheldon watched her look down at her hands that were flat on the table in front of her before she finally looked up again and nodded mutely.

"Listen," Junior said, causing Sheldon to look at him. His hands worried the tail of shirt as he looked at Sheldon with a long face. "I want you to know I never meant to…" He stopped, staring over Sheldon's shoulder at the woman who stood behind them. "All those years ago…I still hate that I got you involved. And I hate what I've done to you. None of that wasn't supposed to happen."

"Things are never _supposed _to happen to you, are they Junior?" Sheldon asked in a mocking tone. He felt his chest puff out as he inhaled and exhaled, advancing on his older brother. "Unfortunate events just happens wherever you go, and it's never your fault." He found himself within inches of Junior, looking at him straight in the eye. Years of suppressed rage and fear began to pour over him in waves. The scared 17 year-old kid still enclosed in the protective shell was banging to get out. Suddenly, the edges of Sheldon's vision began to blur with a shade of red. His brain processed his vitals at an alarming rate, noting the elevation in his blood pressure, the increase in his core body temperature, the adrenaline pumping through his veins like microscopic geysers erupting into his blood stream. He wanted to feel Junior's bones break beneath his hands. And what was worse, Junior didn't look even _kind of _close to stopping him. Before he could think about what to do next, Sheldon smelled a familiar vanilla scented fragrance and felt a rush of cool air before the silky soft touch of a hand on his arm.

"Sheldon."

At her touch, Sheldon broke his stare with Junior. A lump in his throat formed as Penny's figure came into view.

"Come talk to me," she insisted, staring into Sheldon's eyes. He felt a sudden rush of vertigo, the blood pressure no doubt plummeting to return to normal. He allowed her to hold onto him and lead him away from the apartment. They stopped at the open door before Penny turned and gave one long scathing stare at Junior. "Don't touch anything. We'll be back in a minute." Then she pulled Sheldon the rest of the way into her apartment. When the door was closed she stayed facing it for a long time. Behind her Sheldon found himself studying her back, not trusting himself to speak yet. "Sheldon, what happened all of those years ago?" Penny finally turned and made her way over to the couch. She brushed past him and he closed his eyes as her fragrance filled his nostrils.

"I can't." Sheldon opened his eyes slowly and looked down at her, his body hunched forward and his fists clenched by his sides. "I can't, Penny."

"Talk to me," Penny pleaded, placing one hand on her lap and the other on the couch cushion beside her. Sheldon watched her hand rub the seat back and forth but he made no move to join her.

"There are things about me that no one knows," he said softly. "Things that no one was ever supposed to find out so that I could maintain a certain peace while I live my life. Junior showing up on our door step disrupts that peace." His mind suddenly changed directions when he looked up and saw three empty beer bottles lined up on Penny's kitchen counter. "I'm sorry that I was cruel to you last night." His sudden apology seemed to have caught his friend off guard, but she quickly recovered and revealed a small smile. His breath caught in his throat at the sight.

"To be honest," Penny gave a little laugh. "I kind of miss that Sheldon. The condescending jerk of a neighbor who insists on correcting my grammar and telling me to chew with my mouth closed." She stopped rubbing the couch and leaned back, placing both hands in her lap. "This Sheldon is scaring me."

"Is it because of what you heard?" Sheldon asked as he took a step closer to Penny, just shy of the couch.

"No." She shook her head. "It's because I feel like you're disappearing. Like if I leave the room for even a second, when I come back you won't be there anymore." Her breathing hitched and she looked down at her knees. "I can't explain this feeling, Sheldon, except, I can't _not _be near you now." Once again, Sheldon marveled at the appealing stain of blush that appeared at the tips of her ears and sides of her face. It was absolutely fascinating.

"I oddly feel the same," he murmured before he could stop himself. Sheldon lowered his weight onto the couch next to Penny. His fingers were humming like dormant energy waiting to be burned, so he cracked a tiny hole into his exterior shell and allowed himself to swipe at Penny's palm. Unsure if he should let it rest there, his long fingers hovered over her folded hands that were still in her lap. He hadn't willingly touched anyone in an intimate manner in so long (save for the two different outbursts where he felt compelled to hug Penny and the occasional hearty pat on Amy's back when he felt particularly grateful for her company). But with Penny sitting close to him, her plump lips shaped in an _O _of surprise at his behavior, he felt himself _wanting _to touch her again. So he bit the inside of his cheek and lowered his fingers onto hers, giving them both something to hold onto. A few seconds went by before he spoke again. "I want to tell you everything."

"Go ahead," she breathed. Penny was now sitting erect, and her rapt attention made Sheldon slightly unsure. As if sensing his hesitance, Penny rubbed a small circle on Sheldon's hand in hers with her thumb. "I promise not to think differently of you. You're one of my closest friends," Penny cleared her throat, unable to meet his eye suddenly. "And I care about you. If telling me the truth means you won't disappear, then I'm ready to hear it." She waited quietly as Sheldon gathered his thoughts. He looked her over once then turned and stared at the door, knowing that just beyond that was the broken elevator, then his door, then his apartment where his brother was waiting for an answer.

Then it all came tumbling out. "Sixteen years ago, I witnessed my brother and his friend at the time, Marky, beat a man into a coma. He ended up recovering, but lost his memory and significant cognitive functions." He paused, peered into Penny's eyes for any hint of reprove, but found none, so he continued. "The man, Marky, was a drug-fueled addict with a penchant for throwing sports events and gambling. He and my brother met while my brother was also battling addiction, and though he became clean, Marky got worse. They both began to train for underground boxing and mixed-marital arts matches, and when Marky became impressed with Junior's raw MMA talent, he entered him into fixed matches. They were partners in a scheme that a bunch of small-town Texans would fall for every time, betting hundreds and even thousands of dollars on Junior because he would always win. And I had something to do with his constant victories." He paused and shuddered a deep breath.

"What did you do?" Penny urged him to continue.

"I studied the fighters that were due to combat Junior, and with my eidetic memory, was able to process and recognize their routines. Then I learned the point system of the MMA matches and relayed my results to Junior and Marky who in turn would use this to their advantage." He ripped his eyes away from Penny and stared in the direction of his apartment forlornly. "Junior and Marky made an obscene amount of money ripping off people. They had always offered to split it with me, but I could never take a dime. It was an extremely dishonorable way to make a living."

"Why did you do it then?" Penny's eyes widened as Sheldon persisted.

"The night I witnessed Marky attack that man, he threatened to kill my family if I ever told on him. And if I didn't help him throw the fights, he would kill me. And I believed him for years. I flew back and forth from Germany where I was a guest lecturer at the university when I had holiday breaks and when they no longer needed me there, I moved back to Texas for good." Sheldon knew what was coming next and he let go of Penny's hand abruptly, suddenly needing more physical space to continue. He rose carefully from the couch and took a few steps away before turning back to face her. "I have always been the odd man out, as they say, Penny. I never relished the thought of becoming close to anyone because I've always been preoccupied with the vast knowledge to be learned by studying the universe and all of its components. And something solidified that night sixteen years ago when I saw Marky beat that man within inches of his life. That night, I had resolved to believe that this world is cruel, unforgiving. That danger lurks at every corner. And that by being part of the world that Junior had dragged me into, that maybe I was just as cruel, just as bad."

"No," Penny protested, her bottom lip trembling. "No, Sheldon, you are not bad."

Sheldon supplied Penny a sad smile before it disappeared and he found himself wringing his hands together. "Over seven years of being subjected to the gritty, abhorrent world of witnessing men fight ruthlessly in and out of the ring, I had been desensitized to matters of casual, social interaction. The only thing that sustained my will to live in those years, Penny, was physics. No matter what Junior and Marky took away from me, I always had science to fall back on. It made me a much fiercer student, an eager learner. And I was satisfied to live the rest of my days alone in Texas as a student of the universe by day, and a wayward gambler at night.

"Eight years ago, I received a call from Caltech right after achieving my second doctorate to come join their staff. But at that time, I almost declined it. I am sad to say I was completely drawn into a world of Junior and Marky's making. It became something I would look forward to, the mathematical outcomes of a sparring match, the ruthless dominance of winning, and I was always right in determining the amount of time and hits Junior would need to provide in order to win a match. It is in my nature to do well at everything, Penny." Sheldon felt winded but he pressed on. "But Marky ended up leaving town to run away from a bad deal he had made with the wrong people and he sent them on my brother to collect their money. They attacked Junior one night when he was leaving a match. I was at home packing; my flight to California was the next day. He barged into the house with broken ribs and a gash on his face from a knife that his attackers used on him. He managed to get away from them and he came straight for me. He blamed me for everything, for not being there with him that night, for Marky leaving, and said if I left, he'd never forgive me. That night, Junior raised his fists to me for the first time, but because of his weakened state, I was able to fight him off. I threatened him that if I ever saw him again, I'd kill him. Then I left to California and never looked back." When Sheldon was finally done with his story, he found himself sitting on the couch by Penny again, and looked down in mild surprise to see that her hand had somehow snaked its way back into his grasp. He studied it curiously.

"Sheldon," Penny started, her voice soft but sure. "You did everything right by leaving."

"I know," Sheldon agreed, still unable to meet Penny's eyes. As they sat in silence, Sheldon felt Penny rub both of her thumbs over the skin of his hands, and just for a little while, he allowed himself the luxury of forgetting what was waiting for him in his apartment, and focused only on the green-eyed girl who would not leave his side for anything. Sheldon gazed at the cascading mane of hair that framed her face, willing himself not to reach out and touch it.

And in that moment, Sheldon knew that if she had tried to let go, he would not have let her.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I'm sorry for the delay! Between finals coming this week (and my slight intermission to write my TBBT smutty OT3 called 'Three' LOL), life be crazy. That still doesn't take away from how much I adore you all for your lovely feedback and follows/favorites. You guys are amazing. ;]**

**Things are going to start moving along for our three main characters now that Sheldon's past is out of the box, which means less flashbacks. Enjoy this chapter…it was twice as long but I had to cut it in half, so hopefully this enough to suffice until I finish the second half of the next chapter. :]**

* * *

Penny watched as Sheldon kept his eyes on her fingers that were still entwined with his. His brow furrowed deeper each time she completed another circle with her thumb over his knuckles. Her heart beat a little faster when he tightened his grip and sighed, his shoulders finally relaxing as he sunk deeper into the couch. She wasn't sure what Sheldon had thought would happen when he revealed his past to her, but it didn't scare her off. In fact, it intrigued her further. No one's past was squeaky clean, not even Sheldon Cooper. Certainly not Penny's.

"I'm glad you've chosen to trust me, Sheldon," she whispered, breaking him from the trance of her fingers. He gazed up and the cobalt in his eyes, studded with need, suddenly brought her to a screeching halt. She wriggled her hands from his grasp and cleared her throat. Sheldon's intense stare was nothing she was a stranger to, but something in his eyes led Penny to believe that he was doing more than trusting in her. The air in the room became stuffy and Penny's cheeks were reddening—what was this strange intimacy that had suddenly fallen over her and the man sitting on her couch? She chocked it up to the intensity of Sheldon's story and reminded herself to be there for him. He obviously was going to have to make a decision that was going to require her support. "What…what are you going to tell George Jr.?"

Sheldon recovered from the abrupt removal of Penny's hands in his and he straightened out, wiping his open palms on his khaki pants. His narrow tongue darted out slightly to wet his lips before he looked straight at Penny's television set. "I believe that the only logical decision would be to agree to help Junior in his endeavors."

"Logical?"

"Yes," Sheldon nodded slightly, never looking back at Penny as he stared straight ahead. "This man held me mentally hostage for years, Penny. And he changed my brother, for the worse. When I moved home, I could never let Missy go anywhere on her own. It was a…" Sheldon stopped and snuck a sideways glance at Penny before continuing. "It was a torment that I have never been able to let go, not even when Marky was long gone from Texas. I assumed he was dead in a ditch somewhere, _hoped _for it, even. But just the thought of him here, within miles of me, my life, my friends," another glance at Penny before quickly turning away, "Is more than I could comfortably bear."

"So, what exactly would you be helping Junior do?" Penny felt funny calling his brother that, like he was someone she knew personally. "Besides studying Marky's moves…is that right?"

"Yes, I suppose I'll have to find a way to watch him spar at the gym where he trains prior to their match and stay out of his sight until the fight commences." Sheldon suddenly stood up and began to pace thoughtfully. Penny watched him frown at nothing except for the frames on her wall, but she had a feeling he was looking somewhere else, somewhere far where she couldn't join him. "And whatever else I can do to help." He turned and faced Penny who still sat on the couch. "I'll do whatever I have to do to make sure that Junior finishes this once and for all."

"Wait." Penny finally rose from her sitting position and kept her eyes on Sheldon, who was now carefully looking anywhere but her. "Sheldon, what do you mean _finishes this_?" She saw the expression on Sheldon's face go from thoughtful to vacant. An urge to recoil at the sudden shift of Sheldon's mood, similar to yesterday when she confronted him in front of Raj and Howard, came over her. But again, as soon as the ice strewn from his glare settled over her, he turned away and she thawed out.

"Marky isn't going to welcome Junior into the ring with a handshake and part ways after it's all said and done, Penny. This is a winner-takes-all state of affairs." He brought his hands out from behind his back and smoothed down his T-shirt. "I do appreciate your support, Penny. And I also thank you for discretion. I really did mean it when I wouldn't need your driving services this week, nor will I have the ability to host any nightly dinner activities. I…" he paused, finally able to look Penny in the eye again. "I will see you in seven days. Hopefully this entire mess will have been sorted out and resolved by then." And with a curt nod, Sheldon pivoted to find the knob of her door. Penny hadn't moved so fast since she was about 50 pounds lighter and 6 inches shorter and played shortstop on her 2nd grade T-ball team. She winced as the slight twist of her ankle caused a pain to shoot up her calve and she maneuvered herself between the door and Sheldon. "Penny, what on earth?"

"No," Penny breathed, wincing slightly at the pain in her leg. "You don't get to do that to me now." She let out a small squeak; goddamn ankle pain was betraying her resolve to stand firm to keep Sheldon from leaving.

"I don't get to do what?" Sheldon took a step back and searched her face. "Penny, are you okay?"

"You don't get to walk away from me now that I know what you're about to do and how dangerous it can be for you."

Sheldon frowned, a genuine look of curiosity crossing his face. "Did you hurt yourself just now?"

Penny's chest heaved up and down as she bit her lip, pushing herself to talk through the pain. She lifted her foot so that no weight was on it. "Sheldon! Don't change the subject. I don't want you to push me away."

"I'm not pushing you at all," Sheldon said in a rather juvenile tone. "I just figure it would be better for you not to get further involved than what you already are." He crossed his arms and his eyes landed on Penny's attempt to take the weight off her leg. "What is wrong with your leg?"

"You _are_ pushing me away," Penny argued in a voice just as childish. "I know you don't handle this human contact thing very good…"

"Well."

"Well, what?" Before Sheldon could open his mouth again, Penny realized this was _so_ not the time for a grammar lesson and she rushed to interrupt him. "Yeah, yeah, I meant you don't handle these types of situations _well._" She grimaced again, the dull ache in her ankle veering her off her point. "But as I told Junior—get used to this face. Because I'm not going anywhere." She set her lips in a straight line and looked seriously at her friend, her face tilted up to meet his glare. _When did it become so hard to maintain eye contact with Sheldon? _She felt slightly woozy and grasped the door knob behind her for some support and it was not lost on Sheldon. Before she could protest, he had slouched forward and suddenly wrapped a sturdy arm around Penny's waist, catching her totally off-guard. "What are you doing, Sheldon?"

"Leading you to the couch," he murmured before half-dragging, half-walking Penny to the middle of the living room and gently placed her on the cushions. "I think you might have a sprained ankle." He turned swiftly and headed to her kitchen, grabbing a rag off of the dish rack and ripping open her freezer door. Penny braced herself for a moment and sure enough, Sheldon turned around in a huff. "Penny! You have two empty ice trays just sitting uselessly in your freezer and absolutely no ice. You do know that you have to fill these things up with water, right? And not click your heels three times together and wish for the ice to just materialize?" He then turned around again and turned on her kitchen sink, filling the ice trays and making a racket while doing so.

"Relax," Penny said with a frown, but secretly forced herself not to laugh. "There's a frozen bottle of Grey Goose somewhere in there. Just wrap that in a towel and bring it here." After muttering something about "lush" and "Midwest", Sheldon returned to Penny with a sourpuss and her nearly empty bottle of vodka. She was about to thank him and take the bottle from his hands, but he gave her no chance to do anything but sit back as he lifted her leg and placed it on his lap. The denim skirt that completed her Cheesecake Factory uniform fell lazily across her thighs, her knee exposed. Though Penny was used to flaunting a lot more skin than that around Sheldon (_and Leonard, remember that guy? Your boyfriend?_), something about the way Sheldon masterfully removed her tennis shoe and sock in less than two seconds and cradled her ankle to him caused Penny to suddenly feel so bare. "Hey, Sheldon, I can do that…"

"Not as well as I can," Sheldon replied brusquely. There was no way to prepare Penny for the low tone of his voice and the double-meaning that Sheldon surely couldn't have intended in his statement. So she rolled her tongue around in her mouth and tried not to tremble. His fingers suddenly began to press on her skin, starting mid-calve and working their way down, feeling for any swelling. "Penny, I may have done a little soul-bearing tonight, but there's still a lot you don't know or understand about me." He continued to feel down her leg with his lithe fingertips, increasing the pressure as he made his way down to her ankle. "Human contact is something that yes, I have long tried to avoid. Since I was a young child." Penny desperately wanted him to keep talking but she hissed loudly as his fingers found the source of her pain. "Hurts here?"

"Yeah," Penny squeaked, nodding quickly and rolled her head back. "I guess the ol' cowgirl just ain't what she used to be." When she brought her head back level, she saw that Sheldon was staring at her intently then he moved his eyes back down to her ankle. She bit back another grin.

"Yes, well, you're not as young as you once were, Penny." Penny wondered what Sheldon would do if she suddenly lifted her foot and kicked him in the jaw. But then he continued. "As I was saying, you're right, I don't do _well_ with human contact, be it emotional or otherwise. But my stunted contact concerns have nothing to do with my insistence that you…keep your distance." His mouth was saying one thing and Penny tried to keep up, but his fingers were speaking a whole other language on her leg. Every nerve ending at the tip of her skin sighed with pleasure as Sheldon made his way around the heel of her and balls of her feet, then back up again. She peered down as one hand attempted to feel around her ankle bone while the other hand casually massaged the underside of her calve. He sure didn't seem to mind the lack of distance between them now.

"I'm sorry you feel that way," Penny said softly. "But I'm not going anywhere. Have you learned nothing in the last 6 years? I'm hard to get rid of."

"Preaching to the choir," Sheldon said stiffly, but as he looked down at her leg, Penny could have sworn she saw a tiny crack at the corner of his lips. "Still, Penny. I don't want you to get involved." By the time he finished his sentence, his fingers had slowed down and were now lying dormant beneath her calve and hovering over her ankle. "I might not have stressed this point enough, but when I was truly involved in Junior's world, I was not entirely myself." He bit his lower lip and looked up at Penny again. "The last thing I want is for when all of this is finally over, for you to see me differently. I am not fully capable of explaining why this is so important to me, but it is."

"You want everything to go back to normal," Penny supplied. She longed for Sheldon to put his hands back on her, but quickly chastised herself for thinking this way. "I understand. But remember what I said earlier, about me being scared that you were disappearing?" She waited until Sheldon nodded. "This is what I'm talking about. I can't just sit here in my apartment for a week and wonder if you're going to make it home every night or if you're hurt and need help and you're only a few feet away from me, but I can't get to you because I'm honoring some stupid promise to you to 'stay away'." The end of her rambling came out rushed, panicky even, and Sheldon watched her with a pensive expression.

"Yes," Sheldon agreed. "I do want everything to return as normal as possible when Junior finally leaves. Mostly everything." He avoided Penny again while he looked down at her leg as if seeing it for the first time sitting in his lap. "There's no swelling, so it's not a sprain. Might have just stretched the ligaments slightly, so you will be fine. Just keep your feet elevated at approximately 35 degrees. Alternate between cold and hot compresses." He gave her a small, uncommitted smile and held her leg carefully as he removed himself from the couch. He added as an afterthought, "The water in the ice trays will be frozen in 45 minutes." Propping two throw pillows beneath her feet, he straightened his frame and cleared his throat. "I'd better get going."

Penny didn't say anything as he walked past her and headed for her door, but when she heard him turn her door knob, she spoke. "What don't you want to change?"

"I'm sorry?" Sheldon asked, turning slightly away from the door.

"You said you wanted 'mostly everything' to return to normal after Junior left. What has changed that you want to stay changed?" Penny waited, holding her breath mostly to keep from crying. She couldn't turn around and see his face. Something surely had changed since Junior's arrival, and Penny wasn't sure she wanted it to return to normal, either.

"I'm sorry, Penny," Sheldon murmured from his spot at the door. She heard his feet shift around. "I believe I misspoke. Everything must return to normal. Everything. Junior has been waiting a long time, so I will…I'll see you later." Without another word, Sheldon exited the apartment and closed the door, leaving Penny with her thoughts.

* * *

"Never thought you'd get rid of her," Junior cracked lamely as Sheldon reentered the apartment alone. He was sitting in the center of the couch and flipping through the channels on the flat screen television. He had poured himself a glass of water that was sitting dutifully on a leather coaster on top of the coffee table.

"She is persistent," Sheldon said without emotion then faced his brother and immediately recrossed his arms. "Junior, you're sure Marky is here?"

"Positive."

"Does he know you're here?"

"Not yet. My connects haven't gotten in touch with him yet…he sort of a hard guy to get ahold of. But they have it on good authority that he's been here for years, and is fighting in secret rings like the way we did back in Texas." Junior cleared his throat and Sheldon watched in mild horror as for the first time that night, Junior looked nervous. His façade of macho, easy-going man that he was laying on thick for Penny had wilted away in the few minutes that Sheldon had been gone. "I need your help, Sheldon. I need you to watch him, study him. Let me know what I'm getting into."

Sheldon knew it didn't need to be said, but he said it anyway. "You could die, Junior." He felt his cheek twitch slightly, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"I could've died that night," Junior argued back, his wide nervous eyes suddenly slanting. "That night he sic'd those two guys after me to pay _his _debts. You were supposed to be there…"

"I had to live my own life," Sheldon began, feeling himself become heated again. "I earned the honor of my position at Caltech, and I wasn't going to turn it down out of fear of leaving you."

"No," Junior protested, raising his hands in surrender. "I mean, you _were supposed_ to be there that night. You came with me to every match, and Marky knew this. So he sent his goons with knives and…you could've gotten hurt, too." His face fell and Sheldon studied him, his breath still coming in and out quickly. "It was one thing to threaten to hurt our sister and mother, but it was another to purposely set out to get you killed." Junior got up and shut off the TV, throwing the remote on the couch. "I know I came at you that night in anger, blaming you for a couple of stupid broken ribs. But I was actually terrified, Sheldon." Sheldon said nothing as he continued. "Because the truth of the matter is if you had been there with me that night, I wouldn't have been able to protect you. I barely got away with my own life."

The silence lolled out between the two brothers like a current, pushing them away and pulling them together as it always had. Taking a deep breath, Sheldon nodded. "I'm in."

"Really?" Junior asked. His face brightened for a split second before it fell again. "Are you sure?"

"I don't have a choice," Sheldon said. "You're going to fight him with or without me, but with my help you stand a better chance of winning."

"Sheldon," Junior lowered his voice conspiratorially, even though they were the only two in the room. "When I get my shot at Marky, I'm not going to stop until he's finished."

"That is what I'm counting on," Sheldon replied coldly. He and Junior held each other's gazes for a moment before Junior's signature smile reappeared on his face.

"Glad to have you back, Shelly," he said. Then he turned and walked behind Sheldon's couch to reach for his duffle bag. "We can get started tomorrow thinking of a game plan."

"You're not staying here?" Sheldon asked as Junior walked to the door.

"Well, I figure I've imposed enough on you and your girlfriend…which by the way, I'm sorry for being such a dick to her earlier. Apologize for me, will ya?"

"There are so many inaccuracies in your last statement that I feel inclined to correct you once and for all," Sheldon began, wringing his hands together. "Penny is not my girlfriend. My girlfriend, Amy Farrah Fowler, currently resides in London for the duration of the summer. Penny lives across the hall in her own apartment, therefore you are not imposing on her or me. My roommate is sailing across the North Sea on an expedition for the next four months and so I have an open bedroom here to accommodate you if need be. Unless, of course, you have made other arrangements to stay in a hotel."

"That blonde ain't your girlfriend?"

Sheldon's jaw dropped as he looked at his brother tiredly. "_That's _what you took away from that? No, Junior. Penny is not my girlfriend. So are you going to require quarters here, or…"

"Is she…single?" Junior inched away from the door, suddenly interested. But neither Junior nor Sheldon could have prepared themselves for the outrageous reaction on Sheldon's behalf.

Fists clenched and feet swift, he crossed the room in two steps and stood directly in front of his brother before growling, "She is not for you."

"Shelly." Junior tentatively raised his hands and kept them up by his face, as if in surrender. "Relax, little brother. I am only joking." When Sheldon's breathing returned to normal, a hot flash of embarrassment rolled over his entire body and he backed away slowly. Turning on Junior, he reached his desk chair and collapsed into it, covering his face with both hands. When had he become so unhinged just at the very thought of Penny?

"I figured as much," Junior gave out a small chuckle as he watched his little brother groan into his hands. "That she wasn't for me."

After an awkward moment of silence, Sheldon removed his hands from his face and glared up at Junior. "For the last time, will you be staying here or a hotel?"

"Well, since I don't have a hotel room booked for me yet, I would appreciate staying here, just for the night and tomorrow I'll find one. Don't want to put you out anymore than I already have."

"That's fine, Junior," Sheldon relented, rising from his sitting position and placed both of his hands flat on his lower spine as if he experiencing back pain. "I'll show you to your room." He started towards the hall with Junior in his tow before he turned suddenly as if remembering something. "I want this thing done with," he began, his blue eyes gleaming as he looked his brother over. "And after you take care of it, no matter the outcome, I don't…I don't want to see you again." Sheldon wanted to say he was sorry, wanted to explain that to his brother that his mere presence in his life was just too much for the physicist to deal with and that he couldn't tolerate the shifting of his balanced life for anyone, but he saw Junior clam up and his eyes, so blue like Sheldon's, become steel.

"Got it. Loud and clear," Junior grunted.

Sighing, Sheldon continued down the hall and let Junior in Leonard's room, informing him of the very tight bathroom schedule he was expected to adhere to.

* * *

To say Penny's night was restless was the understatement of the friggin' year.

After Sheldon left, she allowed herself to shed a small amount of unwarranted tears. What was happening to her? It was a question she had been asking herself a lot in the last two days, and she still did not have the answer. When she dropped Leonard off the day before yesterday, she had been almost relieved for the freedom and the space to seek out an adventure without him tailing her. But now she just felt alone, confused, and slightly sorry for his absence. Not that she could have confided in him about Sheldon's business anyway, or ask him for advice on Penny's sudden urge to wrap her arms around the lanky Dr. Cooper and never let him go (_WHAT?_). She closed her eyes, her feet still elevated, as she remembered Sheldon's tight grasp on her hands as if he were being led through the dark. He could say all he wanted to push her away, but Penny would not be deterred. Regardless of the strange feelings stirring inside of her that she couldn't put a name to, above all of that, she was still Sheldon's only friend left that he could count on. Raj was sweet, but entirely self-involved. Howard was totally unreliable and weak. And even Amy, her sweet friend Amy who was spending months in London, couldn't have been tough enough to help Sheldon had she even been here. Penny tried to imagine Sheldon pouring his past out to Amy and could only see the neurobiologist's eyes widening in horror and leaving him abruptly.

Penny would not leave Sheldon, ever.

So she wiped her face dry, and after a few more minutes, grabbed her purse and dragged herself off the couch, waddling to her bedroom. She figured she'd give Sheldon this one night alone with his brother, and then Penny would approach him tomorrow as relentless as ever. She removed all of her clothes except for her panties and collapsed into her cool sheets. Her bed was unmade but still felt crisp around her warm body. Her thoughts then returned to Sheldon as she reached into her purse for her cell phone that she had not looked at all day since her shift was so busy and the business with George Jr. arriving, then turned off her bedside lamp and relaxed into the dark. If Sheldon wanted to keep her away, he was going to have to physically put his hands on her and remove her. She shivered involuntarily at the thought of Sheldon's hands and cursed herself. Pressing buttons on her phone, Penny winced at the bright screen. She had eight missed calls and two texts, the latter of which were from Bernadette. None of the calls were from Leonard, she thought with a frown but not in surprise. Then she realized that all eight missed calls were from Amy Farrah Fowler.

Penny's heart beat sped up and she let out a breath. "What a mess," she groaned and then tossed her phone onto to the floor. She waited for sleep that wouldn't come.

* * *

Sheldon lay awake in bed long after he left Junior to his own devices. Thoughts were harpooning him from left and right, and he tried fruitlessly to dodge each one. His decision had been made; he was going to help Junior defeat Marky the only way he knew how. But even the rage that had lied dormant inside of him for years towards Marky wasn't enough to stifle the fear that coursed through Sheldon's veins. He knew that Junior was going to try and fatally finish Marky once and for all, and it wasn't so much the concept of death that struck Sheldon to his very core, it was the fact that Sheldon _wanted _Marky to die. He thought of all the threats he made against Sheldon and his family, every time the vile man would give a long, meaningful look at Missy's body before turning to wink suggestively at Sheldon, and his blood boiled.

Hadn't Sheldon paid his dues? Hadn't he finally evolved from the blood-thirsty, cold-hearted minion that he served to Marky's satisfaction? For eight years, he was practically brain-washed and passed his free time calculating ways for Junior to beat another man senseless so that Marky could get paid, and when Sheldon wasn't in the infamous barn cheering for more blood spill, he was back to work on Monday, avoiding relationships and making indifferent, wary bystanders out of perfectly decently colleagues that he could have created bonds with. Marky had turned Sheldon into the robot that everyone teased him to be today.

And though Sheldon could hardly blame anyone else for his usual aversion to casual physical contact (_germs, diseases, influenza_), he had Marky to thank for his unwillingness to allow anyone to care for Sheldon, especially the likes of Amy who wanted nothing but to become more intimate, or in the way Penny was trying to care for him.

_Penny._

Sheldon had been so put off when she removed her hands from his, relishing the massaged circles by her stubby thumbs rubbing into his red knuckles. But when she did, she had broken the spell for both of them. But he had been sucked right back in, charmed relentlessly as he found himself sweeping her leg into his lap. He never wanted to leave, but for her safety, he did. Then he tried thinking of the betrayal he was committing with his thoughts against Amy or Leonard, but he only saw their blurry outlines in the horizon, unwilling to acknowledge their presence when all he could see in front of him was Penny.

And before Sheldon knew it, his eyes were fluttering open in protest with the brightness of the morning sun pouring in through his windows. He stretched, his joints aching as though he had been running a marathon before a heavy weight in his pants directed his attention to his crotch. That was two nights in a row where he fell asleep thinking of Penny and awoke with the burden of the consequence resting heavily against his thigh. He was inwardly reprimanding his human half when the sudden clink of dishes and a light, female laugh coming from his kitchen caused his ears to perk up.

Wrapping his robe around him, Sheldon's temper began to flare up again. Junior had another thing coming if he thought he could invite any floozy he scooped up from the corner and bring her into Sheldon's home. He was formulating the stern rebuke when he emerged from his bedroom and froze at the sound of the laugh again. The familiar guffaw had him rushing faster to the kitchen and his eyes nearly fell out of their sockets as he saw Penny, freshly showered and fully dressed in blue jeans and a black T-shirt with the Harley Davidson logo sprawled across her chest (he quickly noted the shortness of the shirt and how it exposed a glimpse of her firm lower stomach) and Junior, also freshly showered but dressed in black jeans with a red and white flannel shirt, the sleeves rolled to his elbows. He struggled to understand and blurted out, "What on earth is going on in here?"

"Good morning, Shelly," Junior greeted, licking butter from his thumb before spreading the amount on the butter knife in his hand across the bread in front of him. "Breakfast is ready."

"I told him you liked French toast on Sunday mornings," Penny said with a wide smile. "Hope that's alright."

Sheldon refused to acknowledge the beat of his heart as it sped up at the sight of Penny's smile. "It most certainly is not alright. Penny, I asked you to stay away from me."

"Sheldon," Junior called in a deep, disapproving tone that jolted Sheldon. "We don't talk to women like that. At least not without a good reason." Sheldon ignored his George Cooper Sr. reasoning and his eyes remained fixed on Penny. "Besides, she's here to see me, not you. I invited her over." Sheldon finally tore his eyes away from Penny's hurt expression and glared at Junior.

"You what?"

"Invited her over," Junior repeated, throwing two slices of buttered bread into the batter. "I figured since she is such an important part of your life, and you are important to me, I should make amends with this pretty lady for the duration of my stay."

Penny remained quiet as Sheldon's eyes bounced from her to Junior. "What gave you the impression that she is impor—" He couldn't finish his sentence as he watched Penny lower her face to the floor. Luckily, Junior interrupted him.

"I'm not a goddamn idiot, Sheldon," the older man said, his southern drawl prominent. "Whether you've admitted it to yourself yet or not, this friend of yours is important to you. Argue with yourself about it some other time because we're going to eat a nice breakfast that Penny and I have made, then we're going to get down to business. Am I making myself pretty fuckin' clear?"

Sheldon's eyes oozed with venom as he glared at his brother, whose stare was equally as daunting. They were quiet until the oil on the pan in the stove began to sizzle. "Fine," Sheldon relented, walking towards the table where the food was being prepared. He didn't dare look at Penny and she avoided his eyes, too. Sheldon longed to explain his outburst to her, but he figured it was easier this way. Better to let her think he was a cold-hearted bastard than know he was up half the night (and early this morning) thinking of her.

"I apologize for my language, Penny." Junior grinned and dropped the battered bread into the pan. Sheldon rolled his eyes at his brother's patented charm. "Now, Sheldon. Your friend had some interesting news for me this morning." Sheldon remained quiet and Junior scoffed. "I can see you're dying to know. Anyhow, it turns out Penny knows exactly where the gym Marky supposedly trains at is."

This retrieved Sheldon's attention and he bristled, unsure if he should be angry with Penny for meddling or at Junior for involving her. He would have to engage in a conversation with his brother later about his apprehension, but for now, he was curious. "She does?"

"Penny?" Junior asked, wanting her to continue while he tended to the French toast.

"Yeah," she said softly, and finally met Sheldon's eyes. "Junior said his connects called him late last night and told him that there's a giant, golden sculpture of a lion in front of the gym somewhere in East Hollywood but they didn't know where it was exactly or what it's called." She turned her head for a minute toward Junior, and Sheldon watched her pony tail fall against the slope of her neck before she turned and faced him again. He averted his eyes as she continued. "Do you remember my ex-boyfriend Kurt?"

Sheldon swallowed and frowned deeply. "Of course I _remember _that mongrel." He caught a glint of amusement in Junior's eye and he scowled at him.

"Well, that's where he trains. And he has a lot of friends there, all friends that I've met on several occasions."

"Kurt was an MMA fighter?" Sheldon could hardly hold back the intrigue in his voice. Penny picked up on his curiosity and quenched it.

"He really wanted to be. But his size, you know how tall he was, made him slow. So he never won any matches and eventually just gave up. But he had a pretty persistent trainer, a man with red hair and eyebrows, and scars on his face like had an old rash, or something."

"Penny." Sheldon's hands suddenly shot up as one gripped the table and the other reached out for her. He startled her and she jumped back at the intensity of his voice. "What was this trainer's name?"

"Kurt called him Rob," she answered hesitantly, glancing at Junior as if for help. Watching her look to Junior caused a flare of an unfamiliar feeling to rise up in Sheldon. He quickly went through the catalog of his mind to define the sensation (_hot, longing, envy?_) but then fought to stay focused.

"Have you ever met him before?" he demanded, struggling to keep his tone even.

"Once or twice."

"Marky Robertson," Junior said softly, a devious smile on his face. "You think, Shelly?"

"It's a long shot," Sheldon breathed, his eyes never leaving Penny's nervous face. He watched as her lips parted slightly, her breathing caused her chest to rise and he suddenly snapped. "Penny cannot be involved."

"Sheldon, she can get us close," Junior insisted as he flipped the bread over in the pan. "She can give this guy Kurt a call and…"

"No," Sheldon said loudly, causing Penny to jump and Junior to turn and stare at him with a perched eyebrow. "If it is Marky and he sees Penny with one of us, all he has to do is get through Kurt to find out where he can get to Penny. It's too dangerous."

"I want to help," Penny began but was silenced when Sheldon faced her. She swallowed hard before she straightened out. "Don't look at me like that. You're not scaring anyone."

"Whoo-ee!" Junior barked out a laugh as he served the finished toast onto a plate. "I knew I was right about this one. Little firecracker."

"Penny," Sheldon growled. "A word?" He motioned with his neck to the living room and when Penny didn't budge, Junior laughed again. "I've gotta go wash my hands before breakfast. I'll be back." He winked at Penny encouragingly before moving around her and walking lightly down the hall. When Sheldon heard the bathroom door close, he rested his gaze back on Penny. The metaphor of Penny being a 'firecracker' hadn't been totally implausible as Sheldon could see her eyes flicker at him like little pistons of gas that ignite at the end of a sparkler. "Just because Junior said that we need your help doesn't mean that it's okay for you to come in here and get involved when I _specifically_ asked you not to, Penny."

"I am not helping because Junior wants me to," Penny objected. "I told you that I'm not going anywhere. You're my friend."

"You don't even know what you're saying," Sheldon said, his eyes wild. He had the rare urge to run both of his hands through his hair and pull. So he did. When the locks that were usually combed neatly over his head stuck up in different directions, Penny stared at him with a funny look he didn't recognize. "I asked you nicely yesterday, please…"

"Well I nicely declined," she countered, bracing herself by placing a firm hand on each side of her waist and squaring her feet. "You want to try and kick me out by force now?"

"Heavens, Penny," Sheldon said, his face scrunching up in distaste. "Tell the Junior Rodeo champ that her roping skills will not be necessary. Get ahold of yourself, woman." Then he stood up, walking around aimlessly as he tried to weigh the pros and cons of having Penny along every step of the way. He tried not to look back at her but couldn't help but feel slightly, he didn't know, (_warm, calm, relieved?_) at her ability to make him feel as though she was the one thing he could depend on in this entire mess. "When Junior told you that knowing Kurt's trainer, who may or may not be Marky under another pseudonym, could help us, he was only being partly forthcoming."

"Huh?"

An impatient glare and a deep breath later, Sheldon continued. "Penny, Junior is…he's using you. He has no regard for consequence. What if while I'm scouting the fights, Marky sees you with us? He knows how we operate because he's the one who taught me what I know."

"Sheldon." Penny clamped her hands together and took a few steps closer to him. "I know you're worried about me, sweetie. Now, imagine how I feel. I _want _to help you because I don't want you out of my sight." She glanced over her shoulder to see if Junior had left the bathroom yet, and when she realized he hadn't, she turned back to Sheldon, lowering her voice. "I'm not doing this for Junior."

"Penny," Sheldon pleaded, taking a step back as the blonde gained inches on him, advancing slowly. He wanted to pull back more but she grabbed him, both of his forearms, and pulled him to her.

"If you tell me right now you don't want me here, you and I will both know that it will be a lie."

Sheldon tried conjuring up any icy retorts he had left up sleeves that would deflect Penny, to make her turn away in anger—he'd even accept a slap to the face. He parted his lips, reaching deep inside to force himself to say anything that would make her walk out of that apartment for good. He watched, almost from outside of his body, as the shell cracked and the shards fell carelessly all around them. His hand reached out and around Penny's neck, feeling the ends of her pony tail between his fingers. She didn't pull away, and neither did he. "Don't."

"Don't what?" Penny breathed, her eyes fluttering open and closed as Sheldon's breath washed over her face.

He should have been thinking of Amy. Of Leonard. But instead, he thought of himself. "Don't leave me."


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: No matter how many reviews this fic gets, as long as I have my amazing readers that continue to leave such thorough and heartfelt feedback, I will remain extremely elated. I can't explain how great it feels to read how you all become so engrossed in the story and passionate about the characters. I truly want to thank you all, especially my lovely guest reviewers who don't HAVE to take time and review but do so anyway, faithfully. **

**Also, I made an A on my final. YEY ME. Three whole days of rest until the next class starts, so I promise to spend every minute working on updates. :] **

**Sorry this chapter is kind of short, but it's a continuation of the last chapter, and I think you'll enjoy it anyway! ;]**

* * *

_"Don't leave me."_

Penny had prepared herself for a stern talking to, a berating order to leave the apartment at once, or even a physical removal of her hands from Sheldon's flannel-sleeved forearms. But as sure as the sunlight that had sprawled across the wooden tiles of the apartment like spilt milk, filling the room with natural light and warmth, Sheldon admitted to Penny, in the most exposed and raw way that a man like him could, that he needed her. She remained rooted to the spot as he snaked one of his arms around her waist, resting his large hand on her hip, palming the exposed skin between the bottom of her shirt and the waist of her jeans, while his other hand continued to slowly entwine her sleek ponytail between his fingers. She let out a low, guttural gasp as Sheldon absent-mindedly gave the tiniest of tugs on her blonde strands. As the small sound escaped her lips, her eyes flitted to Sheldon's almost instantly, and her heartbeat sped up as a small smirk played on his thin, playful mouth. The subtle act of flirtation by a self-proclaimed "man of science" like Sheldon Cooper kindled a warm, airy feeling that began in Penny's lower abdomen and spread to every square inch of her body from head to toe.

"Innate behavior," Sheldon murmured, his eyes never leaving Penny's face. He was peering at her as though he was studying a mystery that had yet to be solved.

Penny shook the small stars from her eyes, the pounding of her heart roaring in her ears, and asked Sheldon what he was talking about.

"I am experiencing a rare urge to step further out of my comfort zone than I am accustomed, but it is nearly instinctual, a behavior that alters my environment to what I see fit."

"Almost getting it," Penny whispered, furrowing her brows. Was this his way of talking dirty?

He rolled his eyes in exasperation before refocusing on her. "I feel the overwhelming need to kiss you." As soon as the word _kiss_ left his lips, Penny fixated once again on his mouth.

"The feeling is mutual." She took a step closer to him, relishing the heat of his lean, hard body in his ruffled pajamas, still warm from having woken up minutes ago.

"Penny." Her name, so often said by Sheldon that sometimes it rarely had any meaning, sounded like a plea coming from his lips. Whether it was to beg her to stop inching toward him with her own lips, or to beg her to plant them on his, they would never know.

"Food's getting cold-you two done squabbling yet?" Junior clapped his hands together and waltzed back into the kitchen area, stunning Sheldon into silence much to Penny's chagrin. "Oh, shit! Sorry about that..." Penny craned her neck to look at Junior with what she hoped was with an expression of contempt.

"Impeccable timing as always," Sheldon muttered before releasing his hold on Penny and taking a step away from her. She refused to let him get far, grabbing onto his forearms with a desperation that caused Sheldon to stare down at her in alarm. "Penny…"

"We need to talk," she said. Already, the exposed skin around her hips where Sheldon's hand had been was clammy, wistful for his touch.

"Of course," Sheldon assured her, licking his lips quickly and glancing over her shoulder at Junior. "Later, though. Please."

"I can take a hint," Junior said, smiling widely. "If you two need a minute…"

"No." Sheldon shook his head and gently removed his arms from Penny's grasp. "We need a plan to keep Penny safe if she is going to get us to Marky through Kurt. Of course, if that's still what she wants to do." He gave her a once over before stepping around her and walking back to the table to join Junior. "I admit that I still have some reservations about her involvement."

"Her safety is priority number one," Junior said solemnly.

"And if I get even an inkling of trouble, I'm pulling her out," Sheldon promised fiercely.

"Couldn't agree more, little brother."

"Penny?"

She turned around and saw Sheldon staring at her meaningfully, a question in his eyes, while Junior looked down at his hands. The atmosphere had been sucked of its warm, glowing light and Penny's stomach suddenly began to churn. "Yeah. I just need a minute." She whirled back around and in one swift movement, was out of the apartment and walking directly into her own, shutting the door behind her. She leaned against it, willing her heart to stop pounding. This is what she wanted; to help and be there for Sheldon. As his _friend_. But what had happened between the two friends before his brother came in and broke it up was too strong to be ignored.

Perhaps it had appeared out of thin air, or perhaps it had always been there, lying around waiting for its moment to pounce on Penny, but one thing was for sure: her feelings for Sheldon had shifted from an affection for her lovable yet loony giant man-child of a neighbor into strong, almost tangible currents of yearning for the man with a shady past she was inexplicably drawn to. Frowning, she pushed herself off of her door and headed straight to the comfort of her kitchen, fishing around for any kind of alcohol that would soothe her frayed nerves. The fact that it wasn't even noon yet be damned. She found two bottles of beer left and popped the tops off of both of them with the bottle opener. Immediately, she guzzled down half of one, her thoughts jumbled up inside of her head. One of the thoughts reared front and center and it was of Leonard. _Oh God-what am I doing?_

Walking stiffly to her couch, she sunk into the cushions and tried to make sense of her emotions. What she wanted this summer was time away from Leonard so she could sort out her feelings, make sense of what she felt was lacking in their relationship, and perhaps maybe just find the strength to grow up and open herself to a real commitment to him. Leonard, her little man with a big heart who would do anything to make her happy. But yet, he always fell just short of doing so. And Penny somehow thought it was maybe her fault. Surely it couldn't be his. So what he didn't challenge her? Make her feel just enough friction to want to strive to be a better person? In other words-how dare Penny not love a man that loved her more than he loved himself?

Though Leonard may not have dared Penny to be better than what she was (he, in fact, always assured her she was _perfect_), there was _one_ person who always did. Who always had his own subtle way of stimulating a rise out of Penny, and with this person, no two days were ever the same. He made her laugh, he made her cry, he pissed her off, and he turned her on. Setting the beer down, Penny crossed her arms and felt a small smile play on her lips as she thought of Sheldon tugging on her hair just minutes before.

_"I feel the overwhelming need to kiss you."_

* * *

"Was that my fault, or…"

Sheldon finally tore his eyes away from his closed apartment door moments after Penny walked out of it then rested his gaze on his brother. "What?"

"I'm sorry I interrupted your, uh, whatever that was." Junior wouldn't wipe the grin off of his face and it made Sheldon slightly defensive.

"You interrupted nothing except a conversation between two friends," he said, bristling slightly as he took a seat at the table. Sheldon kept his back straight and eyes even. He longed to walk after Penny, ask her what was wrong, and apologize for his strong outburst of carnal-like behavior that slightly scared him. The urge to kiss Penny was an understatement-holding her in his arms, staring into her eyes as she stared back into his, the way she slightly arched her back into him, barely touching his chest with her own-he wanted to _devour _her. Shaking his head of the thoughts, he addressed Junior again. "I believe you and I have to discuss something before this goes any further."

"By all means," Junior said, and then frowned at the food that was spread out on the table, still untouched. "I take it no one is eating today?"

"When you leave, Junior, I still have to live here. When you are gone, leaving what is sure to be a mess in your wake, I have to clean it up. The relationships I have are few, but they are strong. Penny is someone in whom I trust and," he swallowed hard, "…well, she is one of my closest friends. If she gets hurt in any way, or if I sense that my life that I've built for myself here in Pasadena is in peril on your road to retribution, I will remove you from said life. With my bare hands, if I must." Sheldon's eyes were ice compared to Junior's watered down baby blues.

"You seem to forget what Marky has done to you, too," Junior accused, bristling as well at the sudden barrage of threats by Sheldon.

"I forget _nothing_," Sheldon rumbled.

"I mean that it's not only my retribution I'm looking to satisfy here, Shelly. I want to make that son-of-a-bitch pay for what he did to me, to you, to Missy and Momma."

"Nothing would please me more to see that man pay for what he's done, but not at the expense of…" Sheldon didn't finish his sentence, and instead he looked longingly at the apartment door. The sudden urge to go after Penny returned, but he needed her to come back to him. If she truly still wanted in, she would have to do it on her own accord-Sheldon would never ask this of her. "Do I make myself clear, Junior?"

"You really care about her, don't you?" The question startled Sheldon at first, but he quickly recovered. "Seriously, I never thought…well, never mind."

"You never thought what?"

Sighing, Junior leaned back against sink, facing Sheldon with an awed look upon his face that made Sheldon squirm a little under the scrutiny. "I never thought I'd ever see the day where you fell in love with a woman. Not a real one, anyhow. You know, like from one of them comic books you used to read."

Before Sheldon could argue or make a sound beyond the indignant squeak of protest, the front door to the apartment opened and in walked Penny. He frowned as he saw an open beer bottle in her hand but his eyes traveled up her slender arm until they rested on her face. He felt his stomach flip as the overwhelming feelings of (_coil, release, lust?_) returned.

"I'm sorry for leaving so quickly," she said as she shut the door behind her and crossed the living room to join the Cooper boys at the table. "I …needed a beer."

"You and me both, sister," Junior cracked.

Sheldon was irate. He was tortured to finish his conversation with Junior, to shoot down his theories of being _in love_ with Penny, but felt the more pressing matter was to inquire as to why Penny had felt the need to consume alcohol so early in the day. But in a rush of a rare, almost burning shame, Sheldon's brain flashed another memory of the feel of her lean waist in one of his hands, her silky smooth hair in the other…he shuddered and decided to keep his mouth shut.

"But no, I haven't changed my mind," Penny continued, looking at both Sheldon and Junior. "I still want to help. And I think I know how."

"The floor is yours," Junior said and he bowed his head, while Sheldon nodded stiffly.

"I can call Kurt today, ask him if he wants to meet me at a bar or something, loosen him up with a few drinks and pretend I'm interested in hanging out with him again." Penny paused for reaction, but she received none as Junior nodded for her to continue and Sheldon hunkered down on the sudden flare of feelings threatening to emerge (_insecure, panic, jealousy?_). She went on. "Then, I can just casually bring up how he used to box, ask him if he's still training at the same place."

"You used to go watch him a lot?" Junior interrupted.

"Yeah," Penny replied. "I actually used to get a kick out of watching him train. But that guy, Rob, or Marky, whatever…he used to suck the fun out of it. He would really come down hard on Kurt, and it always gave me a bad vibe. But Kurt would assure me that it was how trainers were supposed to act."

"True," Junior said thoughtfully. "Go on."

"Well," Penny began again, this time looking at Sheldon. "I thought maybe if he still trained at the gym, I could possibly go sit and watch him, and take my phone and record Rob-Marky, oh, whatever his name is!"

"Let's refer to him as Rob for now," Sheldon suggested, finally speaking. "If it's the same man, he changed his name for a reason. If he somehow hears his real name, he'll become extremely suspicious."

Penny nodded in agreement. "Okay. Well, yeah. That's my plan. To record this guy fight so that Sheldon can study his moves and wouldn't have to show his face at the gym." She waited for the two men to say something. Sheldon thought it was a good idea, but held back from saying so. Just the mere thought of Penny alone in the same place as Marky was enough to make his skin metaphorically crawl. And if that wasn't bad enough, another vision of Penny attempting to flirt with Kurt again in order to get back into his good graces (or whatever else she had to do) turned his stomach as sour as day-old milk.

"What do you think, Shelly?" Junior asked, interrupting Sheldon's warped thoughts of Kurt being hit by a speeding train.

"I…" Sheldon began, unable to meet Penny's eyes. "I think it could work. But I insist that we wait outside, in a parked car, while Penny is inside of the gym. I don't want to leave her completely alone."

"Very undercover, Sheldon, I like it," Junior said with a lopsided grin. "But seriously, I agree. The closer we are to you the better in case there's any…trouble."

"You guys," Penny said as she bit her lower lip in a worrisome fashion. "How dangerous is this guy?" She waited while the two men were silent again for a long time. When it became uncomfortable, Sheldon was about to speak again but Junior cut him off.

"You see this?" he asked, pointing at the long, silvery scar that began at the tip of his eyebrow and zig-zagged down his temple until it disappeared into his beard.

"Yeah," Penny said sheepishly. "I noticed it the first time I saw you last night."

"Well, the knife that did this to me was aiming for my jugular. And the hand that did it was hired by Marky. As far as he knows, I've been dead a very long time." Penny let out a small gasp and Sheldon wanted to ask Junior to stop it, but he was too busy staring at the scar himself. Junior had said that Marky sent those men after him and had assumed Sheldon would be there, too. If he _had_ been with Junior instead of home packing for his departure to Caltech, would Sheldon still be alive today? Would he also have been sporting his own battle wound, a daily reminder when he faced the mirror that the man who hired him to be killed was still out there, living and breathing? Rage filled Sheldon's lungs like air as he realized Penny would soon be around Marky, and he struggled to maintain control as his hands gripped the sides of the kitchen table.

"I'm sorry," Penny murmured, looking down.

"Don't be," Junior snapped, not unkindly. "It's why I'm here. After eight long years, a little payback is due."

All was quiet again until Sheldon regained enough composure from his sudden surge of fury and relaxed his grip, releasing the breath he had been holding. He could keep Penny safe. They just had to play it smart. She had a good plan. "Okay," he heard himself say. "I say Penny calls Kurt."

"Okay," Junior said slowly, watching his brother carefully. "Penny? Are you ready to make that call?"

"Yeah," she said. Sheldon noticed a slight hesitation. Before he could stop himself, he reached out and touched her hand tentatively. Her neck snapped up as she looked at him.

"You don't have to do this," he said, giving her one more out that he hoped she would take.

"I won't leave you," Penny said forcefully, the meaning in her words taking Sheldon back to just moments ago when he pleaded with her to stay with him. The look in her eyes jolted him and something congealed between the two of them that Sheldon was not sure could ever be broken.

"Then let's make the call," Junior suggested when words failed both Sheldon and Penny.

* * *

Later that evening, after the call to Kurt had been placed and was almost too easily successful, Penny stood in front of her bedroom floor-length mirror as she tried on several outfits to wear that night. Her hair curled and her make-up already done, she just had to motivate herself into changing out of her jeans and T-shirt and into a tight little number that would have Kurt drooling. The hard part wouldn't be getting Kurt to meet her for drinks, Penny knew. It would be the insufferable couple of hours she would have to endure with him, the entire time forcing herself to pretend she was interested in him again.

_"I knew I'd be hearing from you again sooner or later," Kurt cooed into the phone with a hint of machismo. _

_"Yes, Kurt," Penny said through gritted teeth, attempting to keep her tone light, playful. "I can never stay away for too long. You just do it for me, baby." _

_"So you coming over tonight, or what?"_

_"I'm actually kind of hungry," Penny said with a fake pout, inching the pitch of her voice up a notch so that she sounded like a baby, just how Kurt used to like it. "Why don't we have dinner and drinks?" _

_"Sure," he agreed, suggesting an old sports bar they used to frequent when they were together. _

_"Meet you there at 9?" _

_"Wear a skirt," he ordered. "I miss those legs." _

Penny modeled a black mini skirt that she had not worn in months. It was one of her favorites, a repeat companion that scored her numbers galore when her, Bernadette and Amy would go out on girl's nights. She emitted a soft groan as another jumbled up thought parked itself in the front of her mind and the thought was of Amy. She still hadn't returned her missed calls and when she looked at the time, she knew it would be the middle of the night in London so now wouldn't be a good time to. But with the guilt washing over her, Penny dropped the skirt in her hands and stalked over to the side of her bed where the night stand held her cell phone. She picked it up and thumbed a quick text message to Amy, mentioning absolutely nothing about the last two days.

_Ames! Sorry I missed ur calls. Miss you, hon. Will call U after work 2morrow._

Tossing her phone to her bed, she walked back to the mirror and picked the skirt up off the floor. She finally agreed on the black skirt and a silky, sheer peach colored-halter top and began to change her clothes when her phone buzzed from the comforter on her bed. Couldn't be Amy, could it? She picked it up slowly and read the incoming message from Sheldon with a smile on her face.

_- Truly appreciate you doing this, Penny, but you may disengage at any time. _

Penny thought a moment before replying.

_Sheldon, I told you I wanted 2 help. I can handle Kurt. What R U and Jr up 2?_

Finally slipping out of her jeans and pulling on her outfit for the night, she looked at her digital alarm clock and saw that she had half an hour to finish getting ready and head out to meet Kurt. The phone buzzed again.

_- He went to scout out a local gym earlier this afternoon and I assume he found one he liked since he has not yet returned. May I come over?_

_Sure, door's unlocked. _

Penny's heartbeat sped up as she ran to unchain the latch on her door. Sheldon and her had not talked about their almost kiss earlier that morning all day and evening, so she figured now was a better time than any. She heard the buzz of her phone again and ran to pick it up, and her stomach dropped.

_- Don't worry, Bestie. Couldn't sleep anyhow. Can I call you really quick? Need 2 talk about Sheldon._

As Penny stared at her phone in shock, Sheldon's signature rep of three knocks with the simultaneous calling of her name sounded at her front door. After the third knock, Sheldon let himself in.

"I know you said the door was open, but old habits die hard, I suppose," he quipped with a shy smile on his face as he searched for Penny in her living room. "Penny?"

"In…in the bedroom," she stammered, still staring at her phone. She finally looked up as Sheldon approached, filling the empty space in her doorway. "Hi."

"Hello," he greeted, his eyebrows furrowed. "Is everything alright?" He toed the invisible threshold that separated her living area from her bedroom as if afraid to enter her private quarters.

"I don't know," she answered honestly before collapsing on her bed. "Amy wants me to call her."

"But...it's almost 4 AM in London," Sheldon protested, shaking his head back and forth.

"She just texted me, and I don't have a good reason not to call her back. She knows I'm off on Sundays."

"Well," Sheldon said softly as he finally stepped into Penny's room, causing the space to look instantly smaller due to his tall frame. "I suppose you should call her."

"She wants to talk about you." Penny looked up as realization crossed his face. Her heart still pounding in her chest, she licked her lips and decided to go for broke. "Before I call her, I think we need to talk about us."

"Well, that _is _why I wanted to catch you before your…date…with Kurt tonight." Spitting out _date_ seemed to pain Sheldon, swallowing forcefully after he said the word.

"Well, then Amy can wait," Penny decided, setting her phone down on the bed beside her. "Sheldon, what happened between us today?" She watched as the brilliant physicist studied the fabric of her bed's comforter, the shag in her carpet, the paint on her wall, anywhere but her eyes. She sighed loudly and repeated herself.

"I was hoping you could assist me in figuring that out," Sheldon admitted, sighing as well. "But first, I want to apologize for my behavior." Penny peered up at him with a questioning look as he continued. "I can assure you that it will not happen again." He clasped his hands at the base of his spine and took another step forward. "I will keep myself on a tighter leash, as it were. The last thing I want to do is complicate the situation by making you uncomfortable."

Nodding as if considering his apology, Penny stood up and walked over to where Sheldon was standing. "What if I said that I _wanted _it to happen again?" She kept a safe distance away from him, as he was inching closer to the door like he might be thinking about fleeing.

"Penny," Sheldon said in a condescending voice that irked her to the core, but she kept her face straight. "I am willing to admit fault in this situation because of the resurgence of strong feelings that have stirred up inside of me with the arrival of my brother, but I will no longer allow myself to lose control." He stayed completely still as Penny closed the distance between them. She couldn't help but notice his eyes catch the way her skirt fit snug on her thighs as she glided towards him. "What are you doing?" His voice was meek as she stopped directly in front of him, close enough to feel his breath on her skin.

"You're pushing me away again," Penny said before lifting her hands and bringing them to either side of Sheldon's face. He flinched slightly at her touch as she placed one hand on his collarbone, the other on his right cheek. "You don't want to do push me away, but you're afraid." His eyes flickered with sadness as she realized she was reading him like a book.

"You have Leonard, and I Amy." His tone was feeble and defeated but he leaned into Penny's touch. "This is madness." His eyes fluttered closed and Penny fought the urge to kiss him, not wanting to scare him.

"Right now, all we have is each other," she replied firmly. Leaning in and turning her face upward so that her lips were mere centimeters away from his ear, Penny spoke softly. "I want to make sure we get through this situation with Junior together and unharmed. I don't want to push you into anything, Sheldon, but I think our feelings are stronger than we both are letting on. And eventually I want to address said feelings. But for now, I will play along. I'll call Amy and pretend everything is okay, and I won't say a word to anyone. All I ask of you in return is to stop pushing me away." When she was finished, Penny released her hold on Sheldon and watched him wither at the lack of her touch. His eyes fluttered open and he let his hands fall to his sides.

"Okay, Penny. I won't push you any further." He hesitated for a moment before reaching up and fingering a tendril of her waves that framed her face. He sighed and then released the blonde mane and Penny suppressed a shudder. "I know what I am requesting of you, and it tasks me to involve you. I don't want you to get hurt."

"The only way I can get hurt, Sheldon, is if you pretend that you don't feel it, too."

Sheldon met Penny's eyes, and several things happened at once, so fast that Penny almost missed the feeling of the backs of her knees pressing against the edge of her mattress, the eager hands as one wrapped around her waist and the other braced her back so that she wouldn't fall, the stunning feel of a warm, soft pair of lips pressing against hers, frigid and unmoving at first, then fluid and thick as they molded against her own. And as soon as the sensation of Sheldon kissing her sent an electric shock up her spine, it was over.

"I feel it, too," Sheldon assured her as he released his hold on her body then took a step back. "Have fun on your date with Kurt tonight," he said quietly, this time no malice when he said the word _date_. In fact, Penny could have sworn he sounded smug. "But not too much fun." And with that, he was gone, leaving Penny stunned into silence as her door closed quietly behind him.

"Holy…" she began, still recovering, when her phone buzzed again. She sat down softly on her bed, a goofy grin on her face as she picked up the phone and read the screen; another desperate text from Amy a whole ocean away.

_- Penny? Are you busy?_

_Sorry, Amy, I'm about to go on a date. Promise 2 call U 2morrow._


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Your feedback/follows/favorites bring me so much joy, it's ridiculous. Thanks so much! And I love how you all want me to leave Amy in the dust already, LOL. But there's always a method to my madness, and things will work out how they're supposed to in time. ;) Enjoy chapter 8!**

* * *

Sheldon found himself alone in his apartment, his back ramrod straight and his hand still on the knob of the front door. On impulse, he peered through the peephole as though something was chasing him. His heart was beating so rapidly that it was causing him to thrum with energy from head to toe. He swallowed once and replayed the events of the last 1 minute and 54 seconds in his head. With the vast and extraordinary abilities of his memory to assist him, he could almost taste the fruity softness of Penny's plump lower lip against his, and he shuddered.

Should he have done that? Sheldon was no stranger to acting on impulse, but when it came to the female gender, he was as clueless as the common man in deciphering their emotions. Penny had looked stunned silly after he released his embrace but he gave her no time to report back her findings on their kiss. He almost floated out of her room and into the hallway, weightless and giddy, but once he was out of her apartment, panic had set in. She was the girlfriend of his best friend, his roommate, and though he was positive social convention would be that he cease his anatomical desires in placing his hands on Penny, Sheldon could not promise that he would stop. And then he thought of Amy.

"Lord," he grumbled to himself, truly disturbed that his own relationship kept taking a backseat to the other issues. Surely, he was in violation of at least three Relationship Agreement standards, being that he hadn't taken a call from Amy or returned a text in the last day and a half, and he was …

_"I feel it, too," Sheldon assured her as he released his hold on her body then took a step back. _

…doing _that_ with Penny.

He crossed the living room and sunk heavily into his spot. Since the moment he answered Junior and agreed to help him in his endeavor to enact revenge on Marky, Sheldon had been toying with the idea of suspending the Relationship Agreement with Amy Farrah Fowler anyhow. He simply could not accommodate their relationship, even long distance, because his focus was required somewhere else, a situation that Amy could never understand. Sheldon would be delving deep into the world that he had come from, a world where Amy would have no place. The termination of their agreement was already drafted and signed by him, waiting to be sent by mail to Amy, but now his only dilemma was something he had been trying to avoid since before he walked to Penny's apartment that evening. He had been fully prepared to tell her that he was going to control himself from now on and would not involve himself with her in a romantic way. But then she walked towards him in that skirt and placed her hands on him, and he knew that abstaining was no longer an option.

Penny had shattered his shell, the mechanical like structure that kept him intact and at a safe distance from anything that resembled passion or emotion.

But was it fair to end things with Amy and allow himself to get so wrapped up in his blonde-haired neighbor? Amy had truly been his greatest female friend (besides Penny) and someone he saw himself intellectually equal to (still, he had the prodigy advantage, so not quite equal). But even Sheldon knew that this relationship lacked a certain chemical reaction that others refer to as "romance" and "love". That used to be his favorite thing about he and Amy-theirs was a relationship of the mind, after all.

But then he wrapped his arms around Penny and all he wanted—no, craved—was the intense burn of whatever he felt when he was touching her skin.

Even so, this was not the time for such rash decisions, and he got up at once, arrived at his printer and pulled out the three sheets of paper that was the end of his relationship with Amy and placed them in his top drawer to go over at another time. For the first time in his life, he was going to, as Penny liked to put it, "wing it". He smiled at the thought of her, but it was quickly stifled by thoughts of Junior. No matter what he felt for Penny or Amy, there was always the possibility that he might not make it out of this situation with his brother completely unscathed. This was a dangerous business, and he had seen some monstrous things, so he had to focus on the task at hand if he wanted to make it out of this situation alive and intact.

Sheldon picked up his phone and sent a text message to Junior, asking him where he was. He wasn't worried yet, even though Junior had been gone going on six hours. But the last thing he wanted was Junior doing something stupid, like seeking out Marky on his own, and jeopardizing Penny's safety. If Marky saw him or Sheldon's face before Penny got the chance to record him training, Junior's journey to California would be for naught. While he waited for a reply, he walked to the kitchen for a beverage, a small smile on his lips as he allowed his memory to slip back into the recesses of kissing Penny. He sure as shootin' wasn't going to send her off on a date with Kurt without a little something to remember Dr. Sheldon Cooper by.

* * *

"Another round, man!" Kurt barked at the server who was picking up the empty bottles from their table. Penny rolled her eyes before smiling apologetically at the waiter. Kurt had always been such an asshole to people who served him drinks or food. Penny shared an unspoken agreement with the waiter, silently giving him the _go ahead_ with her eyes to spit in Kurt's beer before bringing it to him. She looked around the dark bar as the rock music droned on in the background and the riotous laughs and conversations of the other patrons made her head hurt. She truly would have given anything to be back at her apartment, with Sheldon. She couldn't think of anything else, and it dawned on her that perhaps he shouldn't have kissed her before she went on her fake date with Kurt because she was paying no attention to the gorilla in front of her and was instead fixated on the brainy man waiting at home for her.

Perhaps that was his plan all along.

"So you're not seeing anyone right now?" Kurt interrupted her train of thoughts. She focused on him in the dim light, studying his conventionally handsome face that now made her sick to her stomach. He was dressed in a striped polo T-shirt and jeans, everything tight enough to make his muscles bulge and more prominent. She used to pine over this man. _Gag._

"No, not seeing anyone," she lied. Suddenly, Penny didn't know what she felt guiltier about—lying that she wasn't dating Leonard, or lying that she wasn't _seeing_ Sheldon, if that's what she could call it. _Stick with it,_ she thought to herself. _Remember what you're doing this for. _"And you?"

"Oh, I'm seeing everybody, baby," Kurt laughed, taking a long swig from the new beer placed in front of him. "But right now, I'm just looking at you. And I like what I'm seeing." He gave her a long, suggestive once over, stopping at her legs that were crossed. "How about you finish that beer and we take that ass back to my place?"

_God, I'm going to be sick. _"Kurt," Penny said softly, running her hands slowly over his that were resting on the table top. "I really missed you, baby. But I want to take this slow. Why don't we get to know each other again first?"

Obviously not the answer Kurt was anticipating. "Are you kidding me?" he asked angrily as he ripped his hands from her grasp. His face twisted into a scowl as though he had been duped and Penny began to panic. She didn't want to put him off enough to walk away from her, but she didn't want to end up in bed tonight with the guy just to get some information, so she pulled something out of thin air.

"Kurt, you look so big." She emphasized _big _by adding a wink and pouting her lips. "Are you still working out?"

"Of course," he said haughtily. He relaxed slightly, though his eyes, still skeptical, had begun to roam around at the other available women in the bar. If Penny didn't get him back on track, he was going to dump her for another bimbo and all would be lost.

"I can tell," she purred. Then she took a long sip of her own beer, slammed it down and jumped up from her seat, planting herself on Kurt's lap.

"What the hell?"

"It used to turn me on so much watching you box, baby," Penny cooed, forcefully planting one of Kurt's large hands on her upper thigh as she drew circles on his chest with her index finger. "Remember how hot it used to get me?"

"I have a punching bag back at my place if you want to see me go at it for a few," Kurt suggested, his eyes becoming lazy from the several beers he had consumed. He nuzzled his face into Penny's neck and she threw her head back and laughed, the fake noise not even sounding real to her. She was an actress, after all. "What do you say?" he asked then licked her earlobe.

"I really liked watching you beat the shit out of other guys," she admitted, allowing him to place wet, sloppy kisses along her jawline. Her gag reflex caused her throat to contract but she swallowed hard and stifled the nausea. "When you used to take them down...I want to see that again."

"Really?" Kurt stopped kissing her skin, his attention suddenly rapt. "You do?"

Penny's heart stopped at the curious look Kurt was giving her. Why had he seemed so shocked, suspicious even? She willed herself to relax and got back into character. "Yeah! It's all I've thought about lately, when I've got you on my mind, that is."

"Huh." Kurt turned his head away from Penny and took another sip of his beer, his expression thoughtful. Just as she thought perhaps it was a lost cause, he peered up at her with a smug grin. "I still train about three times a week: Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Same place."

_That was easy_, Penny thought, biting back a smile. She watched as Kurt's eyes continued to roam around, finally anchored on a red head standing alone at the bar with an emerald top that swooped down to show her ample chest to anyone that was looking. And Kurt sure was. "Well, I'm definitely going to have to go and see you, then."

"Sure, whatever," he replied in the most non-committal voice he could muster.

Penny rolled her eyes and removed herself from Kurt's lap. "Be right back—I have to go to the little girl's room." She didn't wait for a response before making her way through the crowded bar to the female restroom and ducked inside, bypassing the line that was out the door. When she heard a few crows of protest she held up her hand without turning around and called over her shoulder, "Keep your panties on, sister, I just need to use the mirror." Then she leaned against the wall near the sinks and whipped out her cell phone, immediately pulling up her text thread with Sheldon.

_Kurt trains at the same gym on Tues Wed & Fri. Told him I'd go see him._

Almost immediately, Sheldon replied.

- _Bravo, Penny. Hopefully you didn't have to resort to any indiscretions that you would regret later in order to obtain this information. _

Penny's eyes narrowed at her phone as though it were a tiny Sheldon in her hands.

_Hey, mister. I didn't have to disrobe if that's what UR asking. I just pretended 2 B interested…I'm an actress remember? _She smirked, then added: _Jealous?_

_- I think you mean Doctor. And please be reasonable, Penny. You're not my girlfriend therefore the only person who should be jealous that you're on a date with another man is Leonard. _

Her smile fell immediately, a tiny pang of discomfort causing her stomach to drop. Then her phone buzzed again.

_- But if it's not too much to ask, please let the only lips you kiss tonight be mine. _

It wasn't exactly romantic, but it was so Sheldon. Far be it from him to admit openly what he felt, and though it was sort of crummy for him to bring up Leonard (something she would have to talk to Sheldon about later), he _was_ jealous. And he was still thinking about kissing her. She sighed and thumbed a reply.

_Only if U promise me the same thing. ;) _

Then she slipped her cellphone back into her purse before she could get any Sheldon-esque replies (_who on earth else would I be kissing at this hour?_) and checked her make-up before heading back out into the bar to find Kurt and end the evening. She was suddenly in a hurry to get back to her whack-a-doodle physicist. She had a sudden chill roll through her body, thinking of Sheldon as hers. _You're treading on dangerous ground, woman_, she thought to herself while scanning the crowd for her meathead ex. The table that had once been occupied by the two of them was now empty. Frowning, she circled the crowd once more before coming back to the empty table, save for the same waiter from earlier standing by her chair looking all sorts of annoyed. When he saw Penny approaching, he handed her a slip of paper.

"Your boyfriend left and I thought you went with him. Here's your tab." Then he turned around and left, barely waiting long enough for Penny to take the receipt from him.

She groaned, "That fucker is _not_ my boyfriend," on deaf ears and slumped into her chair as she stared at the dollar amount on the bill. She craned her neck and gave the crowd a once over, noticing that the buxom redhead from earlier was also gone, too. "Perfect."

"A swing and a miss," an amused drawl said, just above Penny's shoulder.

She whipped her head around so quickly she felt a spasm of her neck muscles, causing her to grimace. "Junior?" she asked, incredulous. She watched as the older Cooper boy yanked out a chair from under the table and sat down, placing his drink full of ice cubes and dark liquid on the table top in front of him. Still rubbing her neck, Penny frowned at the glass. "Aren't you a recovering drug addict-slash-alcoholic?"

"What are you, the good times police?" he cracked, raising his voice so she could hear him over the loud group of women behind them, clinking their beer bottles together and chanting _chug! chug! chug! _Then he grinned and added, "It's a Mr. Pibb. This bar doesn't have Dr. Pepper." When Penny perched her eyebrow, he shook his head. "I miss Texas." He was dressed in a crisp, buttoned down white-collared shirt with the sleeves rolled to his elbows and a pair of dark denim jeans. With his hair combed neatly back and a subtle spritz of cologne that wafted around every time he moved, George Jr. was not looking too bad. Shaking her head, Penny grabbed her old beer and sipped as he continued. "So, who did Big Guns leave with?"

"What are you doing here?" Penny ignored his question and crossed her arms, suddenly annoyed. How long had he been watching her? Did he follow her here? Follow up questions Penny kept on deck as she waited for Junior to answer.

"I was scouting out gyms in the area, found one I liked that happens to be right across the street from here and sparred for a bit. Then I showered there, changed, and came over here for a spell. Is that alright with you, Miss…what's your last name anyway?" He supplied her with a very boyish grin that Penny was sure killed the ladies, but it just made her irritated.

"Are you sure Sheldon didn't send you here to spy on me?" she ignored his request for an answer again. She wasn't sure if the thought of Sheldon sending Junior as a chaperone for her and Kurt's date aggravated her or intrigued her.

"I haven't talked to Sheldon in hours," Junior admitted, sipping his beverage through a straw.

"You sure there's no whiskey in that Pibb?"

"Cross my heart, hope to die." When Junior said _die_, his southern twang made it sound like _dah, _Penny realized as her lips turned up at the corners.

"But you were asking Sheldon for beer last night."

"I still have a drink here and there," Junior said in a matter-of-fact tone. "Just not when I train. And contrary to what Shelly believes, I can still enjoy a beer here and there without turning into George Cooper senior."

Penny was suddenly overcome with a burning curiosity, wanting to ask Junior completely inappropriate questions about their past and their father, questions she was positive Sheldon would never willingly answer since he was so guarded about his past already. Never in a million years would she have imagined he would open up to her as much as he had about his days spotting fights with Junior, but she didn't want to push her luck, so she stayed quiet.

Junior started peeling labels off of the empty bottles of beer that littered the table. "I feel bad, you know. For all of this." His face was suddenly serious as he stared blankly at the table next to them that was still full of buzzed women, shouting out the lyrics to the hip-hop song that boomed over the speakers. "I wish I didn't have to enlist Sheldon's help, but he's the only shot I've got to finish this once and for all." He swirled the ice in his glass.

Penny remained silent, willing Junior to continue with a nod of her head. She was still trying to figure this man out.

"So what's going on between the two of you?" he asked suddenly, his grin returning and Penny felt a blush crawl across her neck.

"I hardly think that's something I want to discuss with you," Penny shouted over the music, feeling herself bristle again.

"Easy, tiger," Junior chuckled. "Never thought I'd meet anyone who would tolerate my crazy ass brother let alone be sweet on him—"

"You know nothing about your brother," Penny heard herself snap. _Whoa, where the hell did that come from? _Regardless of her developing feelings for Sheldon that she wasn't sure she could put a name on, she still felt extremely defensive of him because he was her friend, first and foremost. She reigned in her sudden anger and softened her tone. "I…I really don't think that I should be discussing this with you." She reached for her clutch that held her credit card so she could pay the damned tab and leave, unwilling to be questioned for another minute.

"I think if you're gonna be stringing along my baby brother, I have the right to discuss it with you."

Penny slowly looked up from her wallet, meeting Junior's eyes. "What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" she asked slowly.

"I saw how easy it was for you to jump into the arms of that guy Kurt earlier," Junior accused.

"That was an act!" Penny shouted. "It was our idea, for me to get close to Kurt so I could I get you access to Rob-Marky, whatever."

"I'm just saying, you looked pretty comfortable." Another sip from his straw and Junior kept his eyes on Penny as she seethed.

"Oh, I get it," she suddenly laughed without humor. "We're going to size each other up and make some assumptions? Okay, my turn." She licked the fronts of her teeth, adjusting herself so she was leaning forward on the table, her chin sitting on top of her clenched fist. "I know a fuck-up with a good ol' boy swagger when I see one. I was raised with two of them. And you come in here with your sad, sob stories about how you _need _Sheldon to help you just this 'one last time'," Penny raised her fingers into air quotes and pouted her lip to mock Junior's voice, "but nobody feels sorry for you." Even she was surprised by how quickly the jovial mood of the bar darkened as she watched Junior's smile finally begin to fade, but she pressed on. "Sheldon is a good man. A brilliant, one of a kind, big-hearted man. More importantly, he is _not _crazy. He is also my best friend, and whatever goes on between us has _nothing_ to do with _you_, a leech who wants to suddenly play protective big brother to Sheldon who was doing just fine without you." Junior continued to meet her eyes pound for pound, but when he didn't say anything, Penny added, "And one more thing-if he somehow gets hurt on your road to revenge, well…let's just say that they'll never find your body."

Junior finally cracked. He bellowed a laugh so deep, it made his shoulders shake. "Death threats, Penny? Really? How unbecoming." He shook his head as Penny flinched due to how Sheldon-like his last sentence had sounded. Junior was now standing tall as he reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. "Sheldon is my little brother, whether I'm around or not. He knows that. Ours is not a regular relationship, but he knows I love him. And with the territory that being a big brother brings, I sometimes have to be an asshole to find out who's really there for him." He threw a wad of money on the table and Penny's eyes widened at the big bills she saw in the bunch that landed on her and Kurt's tab. "And I can see that you truly are. Thank you."

"Hold on," Penny protested, shaking her head. "What the hell was that all about?"

"What can I say?" he asked with a shrug. "I see the way Sheldon looks at you like you're the next coming, and how willingly you put yourself on the line for him. I had to see if you were for real. Can you blame me? I mean, this is Sheldon Cooper we're talking about. Tell me you wouldn't do the same." His grin was crooked and Penny felt herself soften a bit. She knew she would do the same, in fact, she didn't care if Junior was Sheldon's blood—she was still trying to see if he was for real, too.

"Look, I'm not looking to fight with you, Junior," she started, but stopped when he held up his hand to interrupt her.

"I know. Don't mind me; I've got a weird way of going about things. Come on, drinks are on me. Let's go home to Sheldon." He extended his arm and Penny hesitated before taking it and allowed him to lead her out of the crowd and into the heat of the night air. She was still unsure about who Junior really was, but there was something about him saying _let's go home to Sheldon_ that just felt right.

* * *

Sheldon had given up on trying to reach Junior and was soon engrossed on online research of MMA fighting and techniques that he had to relearn. Though his mind never forgot anything, there had been leaps and bounds of improvements in the field of mixed-martial arts that he was fascinated by. The rear-naked choke, the triangle submission; Sheldon was practically salivating and lost track of the time. He took notes, barely able to contain his excitement at creating blends of moves that Junior could try out. He sketched out an equation that would tally up the most points for a triangle arm-bar submission when his ears suddenly perked up. His hearing zeroed in on two distinct and familiar voices, and he straightened his back, confused as to why the voices would be coming up the stairs together. He swiveled in his desk chair to face the front door as he heard a key jiggle the lock before it opened up wide.

"Honey, we're home," Junior called and focused on Sheldon sitting in his chair. "Hey there, Shelly."

"Junior," Sheldon nodded a greeting and stared at Penny who was oddly flushed, standing still and holding the emergency key to Sheldon's apartment in her fingers. "Penny."

"Sheldon," she said back, a smile widening her mouth. "It's almost 1 AM," she suddenly gasped. "What are you doing awake?"

Sheldon fought back a frown as he crossed his arms. "Sleep eluded me. Did you have a nice time?" His eyebrows furrowed together and he couldn't help himself, but he looked pointedly at Junior. What on earth were they doing together at this time of night?

"Oh, bad ass," Junior groaned as he looked over Sheldon's shoulder and at the laptop screen that was still playing a video of a match between two professional MMA fighters. "Anderson 'The Spider' Silva. He is the man, my hero even." He looked back at Penny. "Did you know this guy is undefeated in the UFC? Never lost a professional match, ever," he said excitedly before turning back around to face the laptop. While he remained engrossed in the video, Sheldon turned his attention back on Penny. He watched her become shy, so out of character for her that he found himself standing up and crossing the room to her, the urge to be near her out of character for him as well.

"Penny," he said, pushing a strand of her hair behind her ear. He was hardly able to conceive that it was his own hand that was reaching out and touching her willingly. He licked his lips nervously. "I trust that you're alright?" He couldn't help but feel slightly uncomfortable at the thought of Penny alone with Junior, mostly because he had seen what Junior was capable of with his own two hands. He searched Penny up and down for any sign of distress.

"Of course," she answered quietly, studying his lips with an indecipherable expression. Sheldon nodded and turned back around to address Junior.

"Penny was able to get Kurt to invite her to his gym on Tuesday," he announced, clasping his hands behind his back. "I suggest that tomorrow we begin cross training with the moves I've studied from my research this evening."

"Cool," Junior called, still facing the laptop. He relaxed into Sheldon's desk chair and leaned in closer to the screen.

"So, what are you, Sheldon?" Penny suddenly asked with an amused expression on her face. "Are you like the Mickey to his Rocky?" She made tiny fists and pretended to punch the air.

"Excuse me?" Sheldon was confused. "Mickey? Like Mickey Mouse?"

Junior roared a loud laugh that startled Sheldon and he faced his brother with the same befuddled expression. He heard Penny chuckle, too. "Sheldon!" Junior grabbed his sides and gasped for air between laughs. "She's referring to the movie _Rocky._ Mickey is the name of Sylvester Stallone's character's trainer."

"Oh," Sheldon said unhappily, looking down his nose at the two laughing buffoons in his living room. "If that was knowledge that possessed the integrity of scientific academia, I surely would have understood the reference."

"I know you would have, sweetie," Penny laughed softly, touching Sheldon's arm.

"Anyway," Sheldon continued, fighting the urge to shake Penny's hand off of his arm. His ego was slightly wounded but he couldn't find it in him to pass on the feel of her fingers brushing against his skin. "No, I'm not Junior's trainer _per say_. I'm more of a…" Sheldon felt a smile grace his lips. "…choreographer, if you will."

"It's true," Junior nodded, his attention back on the laptop videos. He clicked through a few different clips on the website. "Sheldon's got the whole physics of bare-knuckle fist fighting down." Sheldon's smile widened at the compliment and he nodded at Penny, confirming.

"There's physics involved in fighting?" she asked, her eyebrows pushed together. Sheldon wilted slightly at the question.

"Penny," he said, his voice reaching a higher octave. "Have you learned nothing from me in the last 6 years? Physics is involved in _everything_. Physics is life. It is sustenance. It is the answer, the meaning. Why, even the ancient Greeks…"

"Yeah," she nodded tiredly. "I know, a warm summer evening in ancient Greece and Fig Newtons and planets and junk." She grinned up at him so sweetly that Sheldon felt his rising frustration slowly melt away, and he settled for a slight shake of his head as he peered down at her face.

He was brilliant man, but she was woman with a mini-skirt still on that the Trojans would go to war for. He chastised himself and brought his hands to his sides. _Control yourself, man_, he thought angrily. "Really, Penny…"

"So, can I see this cross training and fight choreographing go down myself?" Penny asked Sheldon hopefully.

"You want to watch?" he asked, his voice unsure.

"Yeah! I really did get a kick out of watching matches when I dated Kurt," she said, wringing her hands together. "A small part of me even liked it when they draw a little blood from their noses."

Sheldon lowered his head and tried not to think of the blood he had actually seen pour from eye sockets and ears and mouths years ago in the fights that he witnessed. "I don't see why not. Junior, would it be acceptable for Penny to accompany us to your training?"

"Sure," Junior nodded as he faced the two of them.

"Then it's settled," Sheldon announced then looked at Penny. "Wait, don't you work tomorrow?"

"Early shift, but I get out at 3 PM. I can join you guys afterwards." She smiled up at Sheldon then gave a wave to Junior. "So I'd better go if I'm going to be up in time for my shift. So, uh, see you tomorrow, Junior."

"Later, Penny," he called over his shoulder from the computer.

"You want to…walk me to my door?" Penny asked Sheldon, her voice quiet and shy again. Sheldon found this side of her endearing but slightly unsettling. He had never witnessed her act shy in front of anyone before, and he hadn't the slightest idea how to react now that she was engaging in this behavior with him. But he nodded anyway and accepted her invitation. She extended her hand and Sheldon studied it for a split second before inserting his into her clamped palm. Giving it a small squeeze, she led him from his apartment and down the hall to her front door. She turned her face up and while gazing at his lips again, she detached her hand from his and placed it flat on his abdomen, right on his belly button. He fought the urge to hiss at the sudden rush of blood that was threatening to accumulate in one area of his body due to the sudden feel of her touch. "I missed you tonight, Sheldon." Her voice was suddenly husky and he had difficulty meeting her eyes.

"You were only gone for a few hours," he protested, staring at her bare shoulder. One of her bra straps (_black, lacy_) had fallen slightly to the left and was peeking out of her top. He longed to put it back in place so that it wouldn't tease him so.

"You're saying you didn't miss me?"

"I'm not saying that at all," he answered, his throat suddenly dry and tongue thick. "I always miss you, Penny." He straightened his posture abruptly, alarm crossing his features. _Where had that confession come from?_ "Good Lord, woman," he heard himself groan. "What have you done to me?"

She rubbed his stomach through his two shirts, a playful smile on her mouth. "Sheldon, don't freak out at what I'm about to do, but I've been thinking about this all night."

_If your hand is going to continue rubbing me, you'll be the one to freak out at what I'm about to do_, he thought miserably. "Okay…" he said aloud. It was pure instinct that when Penny arched her neck and started to reach up towards him, he closed his eyes. His body was anticipating it even though his mind would have never predicted it, and suddenly her lips were on his. His brain was rattling around in his skull, threatening to explode when the feel of Penny's eager tongue lapped at his closed mouth. He allowed her access by parting his lips and gasped when the tip of her tongue ran itself across his. Tremors of warmth began to radiate up and down his legs, centering between his thighs. He knew what was happening to his anatomy right now, but he silently hoped that as the kiss continued Penny would not become aware. Damn his body for betraying his intellect, but soon he felt his hands reach up and grasp Penny's waist, digging his fingers into her hip bones, then roughly pulled her against his body. The friction of her abdomen against his semi-erection nearly made him cry out, and he pushed her tongue back into her mouth with his own. Penny gently nipped on his lip and he groaned, kissing her hungrily.

"Oh, Sheldon," she moaned against his mouth. The sound of her voice, raspy and lined with pleasure, caused Sheldon to pull away. He held her at arm's length, his fingers still grasping her sides. He watched her mouth, swollen and wet, as she apologized. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

"You didn't," he assured her, squeezing his eyes shut as he focused on getting the blood circulating around his entire body again. When he trusted himself to speak, he opened his eyes and saw Penny looking up at him, biting her lower lip to suppress a smile. "I'm just not…not ready."

"I understand," she said immediately, and Sheldon was grateful. "I'll see you tomorrow after work?"

"Yes," he nodded quickly, finally releasing his hold on her slim waist. "I'll text you the address to the gym when we get there." And with another surge of impulse, he ducked his head down to place a peck on her cheek. "Sleep well, Penny."

"Goodnight, Sheldon."

He watched Penny turn away and tuck herself safely into her apartment, locking the door behind her. Then he headed back to his place, thinking about how careless he had become. He entered his apartment and saw Junior still sitting at his computer. His older brother looked up at Sheldon then shook his head and chuckled. "What?" Sheldon asked, his tone slightly defensive.

"Nothing, little brother," Junior insisted as he stood up. "Well, I'm hitting the sack. You sure it's alright for me to stay here another night?"

"It's fine," Sheldon assured him. "As long as you adhere to the bathroom schedule, I see no reason for you to stay at a hotel." As soon as the words left his mouth, Sheldon felt his body freeze up. He knew he was giving Junior the impression that he was becoming comfortable with him staying there, and that was the last thing he wanted Junior to feel: comfortable. "Besides, you're gone most of the time anyway, and that's how I like it." He waited a beat then added abruptly, "I'm going to bed." He tried not to acknowledge the sudden flash of hurt on Junior's face as he scurried down the hall and into his room. Sheldon informed Junior thusly that this was the last time he would allow him into his life. Why should he be cordial now?

_More thinking_, he cursed to himself as he ripped off his clothes and pulled on his Sunday night pajamas. Between accommodating Junior, going back and forth on terminating his already lifeless relationship with Amy Farrah Fowler, and making sense of his newly developed feelings for Penny, Sheldon was exhausted. His brain was always on, processing thoughts and data at an endless tempo. But for tonight, as he turned off his bedside lamp and settled beneath his sheets, he allowed himself to flip off the analytical side of his brain and proceeded to focus only on how Penny tasted until he finally fell asleep.

* * *

***Note for anyone who actually follows MMA: Anderson "The Spider" Silva recently lost his first professional match in the UFC and as a hardcore fan of his, I'm devastated. But for the sake of this story, we'll pretend he's still the champ. ;) **


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Your reviews are my drug! Loving the feedback, follows & favorites! Keep 'em comin'. ;]**

**And I can't tell y'all how awesome your response to George Jr. has been. As a writer, it feels like maybe I'm doing something right to evoke such a multitude of feelings from you guys. Enjoy chapter 9!**

* * *

Dishwashers whirred, grease in the frying pans fizzled, glasses _clinked_ together and customers were still demanding and tiring just like any other day at the Cheesecake Factory, but Penny felt like she was looking at the world with a whole new pair of eyes. Her boss had to snap at her twice for dragging ass in between tables because she would catch herself daydreaming about yesterday's goodnight kiss with Sheldon. She felt light and playful, smiling a little more at the customers and joking around a little bit with her co-workers, but every time she was in danger of floating away, something anchored her to the ground and that something came in the form of thoughts of Leonard and Amy.

When her 30-minute break finally came around, she retreated to her car and turned the ignition, not planning on going anywhere but since the heat of summer was licking her skin like flames, she had to turn on the pitiful AC. She pulled the phone out of her apron and stared at it, wondering who she should call. She wanted to hear Sheldon's voice but something her reigned in her desire and directed her to Amy's number. She didn't bother calculating the time difference before she hit 'CALL'.

The phone rang four times and Penny was almost relieved to leave a voicemail but then Amy picked up and answered with a chirp, "Hey, Bestie!"

"Ames." Penny smiled into the phone even though her heart lurched forward. "How are you? I didn't call at a bad time, did I?"

"Not at all," Amy assured her, muting something in the background so that Penny could hear her clearly. "I was just having a glass of wine before bed."

"Very European," Penny teased.

"Oh, you'd love it here, Penny. The atmosphere, the architecture…it's all amazing. I started my lecture circuit today. Not that I will bore you with the details of such, but I'm meeting so many cool, new people. And they all feel like they know you for how much I sing your praises!"

Penny's eyebrows furrowed together and she shook her head. "That's so nice, Amy. I'm glad you're having a good time."

"I am. So how are things on your end? You said last night you were going on a _date_?"

"Yeah, but it wasn't like a _date _date. Just catching up with old friends." Penny silently cursed to herself. Not that Amy was in danger of telling Leonard about her going on a date, but with how careless she had been to text her that the other night, right after she had just got done making out with _her _boyfriend.

"Interesting," Amy mused. "Hopefully you're not trying to replace me already!"

"You are irreplaceable, my friend," Penny promised. "But listen, I really have to get back to work. Just wanted to say hello."

"No problem, but Penny, can I ask you something really quick? It's about Sheldon."

Penny winced; she had almost rejoiced too quickly in believing she would escape a phone call with Amy and not have her mention _him_. "Sure, what's up?"

"Well, is he okay? He hasn't answered any of my calls or texts, he has been signed off of Skype for the last couple of days, and our last chat together wasn't exactly a success." Penny heard Amy take a big gulp of wine and suddenly she felt overcome with guilt. Amy wasn't just drinking to pass the time; she was genuinely distraught over Sheldon's behavior. "I know he said he hadn't been feeling well and I guess I kind of feel bad that I've put this opportunity before him and have been wondering if I should come home to take care of him. Do you think he's angry with me for not being there?"

"Don't come home!" Penny blurted out with a little more feeling than she had intended. _Get your shit together, woman! _she yelled at herself before continuing. "I mean, Sheldon's fine. You can't throw away this amazing opportunity for him. I promise I'm looking after him for you."

"I know you are," Amy said then hesitated before continuing. "I just…I feel like we had made so much progress lately in our relationship and that maybe I acted too hasty in leaving for England for three months. It sort of feels like he's regressing and that when I come home, we'll be back at square one where I'll have to draft a petition 72 hours in advance to have him hold my hand in a darkened movie theater." Another big gulp and a sigh.

"Amy," Penny muttered into the phone. She suddenly felt terrible, a hundred years older, and like the knife she had wielded in her friend's back was suddenly cutting through her own gut. "That won't happen. I'll…I'll talk to Sheldon for you."

"You will?" Amy asked, her voice suddenly light and cheery again.

"Yeah, of course." Penny bit her lip and willed her voice to stay even. "I don't want you to worry. I've got it under control."

"Thanks, Penny."

"Anytime, sweetie. Alright, I'll let you go. Have a great night."

"And enjoy the rest of your day at work. Later, girlfriend!"

Penny barely let the words leave Amy's mouth before she hit 'END', tossed her phone into her passenger seat and her hands flew to her face, cradling her head as she sobbed. Never in a million years would she have imagined herself as a boyfriend stealer (she used to beat the shit out of other girls for doing that to _her_) and here she was, doing it to one of her best friends. Her resolve began to weaken, and for the first time since Junior walked into their lives, she was beginning to doubt what she was getting into. Perhaps she needed to get out now and distance herself from Sheldon for the sake of maintaining the peace in her circle of friends. She had almost destroyed it once before after a drunken night with Raj, and she had vowed to herself then and there she would never do anything to hurt her friends, to hurt Leonard, again.

But then the thought of walking away from Sheldon caused her to cry out softly as her breathing became shallow and the tears came out faster. Practically hyperventilating over the thought of leaving him was a sure sign that she was already in too deep. It was a long time before she was able to control her breathing, the nerves from speaking to Amy, thinking about Leonard, and almost deciding to abandon Sheldon had rattled her to the core. She willed herself to relax, leaned back in her seat and counted backwards from ten. When she reached seven, three sharp knocks on her window, followed by a loud "Penny?!" caused her to shriek in terror. Her eyes flew open and she recoiled from the window before she made eye contact with a pair of deep blue orbs that were wide with concern.

-Knock-Knock-Knock-"Penny."

Sighing, she furiously wiped her eyes with the back of her wrist before grabbing her phone and stuffing it back into her apron, then turning off her car ignition and opening the door. As she slowly pushed it open, Sheldon stepped back and quietly completed his last round of knocks before whispering "Penny," and slammed it shut for her. He regarded her in silence as she took a deep breath and Penny found it difficult to meet his eyes. "What…what are you doing here, Sheldon?"

"Junior and I were about to go train when he mentioned that he was hungry. I know it's not Tuesday but I recommended the best barbeque burgers in town and insisted we come here. I hope that is acceptable." He peered down at the asphalt in the parking lot and back up at Penny. Dressed in his Green Lantern shirt and lime green thermal undershirt along with his signature khaki slacks, he looked halfway between uncomfortable and concerned and Penny knew it was because of her tear-stained face. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Penny lied and felt her bottom lip quiver. "Where's Junior? How did you guys get here?"

"By taxicab. He's already inside." Sheldon took a tentative step towards Penny as she leaned against her car, allowing the sun to dry her moist cheeks. "I saw that you weren't inside and one of the waitresses told me you were on your break. I came out here and found you in your car. I…" he hesitated and took another step towards her. She could smell his familiar baby powder fragrance. "…I'm not an expert in human emotion, Penny, but I'm willing to bet you're extremely upset and I am very concerned as to why." He looked up at the sky suddenly and grimaced in the sunlight. "Plus, it is extremely hot out here and I'm afraid that you'll dehydrate quicker as you continue to cry without consuming water."

"I'm scared, Sheldon," Penny finally croaked. She watched his face relax from its grimace and smooth over as he studied her. Then suddenly he leaned towards her body and Penny held her breath, thinking he was going to kiss her but he ended up reaching around her and yanked on her car door, opening it wide. "What are you doing?"

"Get in," he insisted, motioning towards the open door. Penny obliged, folding her body to slip into the driver's seat and watched as Sheldon closed it then walked around to the passenger's side to climb in. "Can you turn on the air conditioning, please?" he asked after slamming his door shut. Once again, Penny obliged and turned her ignition, trying it twice before it finally roared to life on the third turn. All was quiet except for the whirring of the AC before Sheldon cleared his throat. "What are you scared of?" His intense gaze was fixed on the side of Penny's face as she stared straight ahead at the entrance of the Cheesecake Factory, watching people enter and exit.

"Everything," she admitted in a hoarse whisper. She cleared her throat and wiped at another fresh batch of tears. "I'm terrified of you getting hurt, by Marky, by Junior. I just got off the phone with Amy not a minute before you knocked on my window. She's worried about you and your behavior and trusts me to…" Penny couldn't finish her sentence in fear that she would sound like a monster to Sheldon and that perhaps he would see her as one, too.

"If you're having doubts about helping Junior and I, Penny, I won't fault you for leaving me…"

"No!" Penny cried, her voice hitching as tears threatened to fall again. Sheldon studied her with renewed interest, no doubt finding her outburst of emotion unsettling. "It's not that at all, Sheldon. In fact, the mere thought of leaving you, of not being around you all the time, it's suffocating. I literally cannot breathe when I think of it." She demonstrated by closing her hand around her throat and fanning her face with her other hand. "I don't know what we're doing here, Sheldon. I care about you, more than I ever thought I could." She didn't dare describe just how strongly she felt about him, knowing that it would scare him as much as it scared her.

"I'm experiencing the same distress, Penny," Sheldon admitted, his eyes never leaving her face. "I understand that I've put you in a compromising position. I feel as though I'm being selfish, and I know there will be consequences for this behavior in the future with Leonard." He looked through the windshield with a thoughtful expression. "But you're going to have to let me handle Amy." His voice took on a slight edge as he continued to look forward. "I don't want you to cry."

"I know," Penny gave a small, humorless laugh as she sniffed. "You don't do weepy."

Sheldon smiled a bit then shook his head. "I don't mind it if you're weepy. I just hate seeing you in pain. If it were possible to extract human emotion from another and install it into oneself, I would do it…for you."

His confession took Penny by surprise and she waited five full heart beats to speak. "That's the sweetest thing you've ever said to me, Sheldon." She smiled and felt around for his hand, and when he allowed her to take it, they rested their entwined fingers on top of his thigh. "Thank you."

Sheldon finally looked at Penny again and nodded. "Are you feeling well enough to go inside? Junior may come out here searching for us."

"Yeah," Penny assured him and reluctantly let go of his hand so she could wipe her cheekbones again. "I'll just go splash some water on my face and be there to take your order." She winked at him and turned off the ignition. As they climbed out, Penny suddenly felt that light, airy feeling once again and waited at the front of her car for Sheldon. Holding out her hand, she watched as he took it without hesitation and they walked into the restaurant, together.

* * *

Sheldon and Junior ended up staying at the Cheesecake Factory until Penny finished her shift so that they could all go to the gym together in her car. Sheldon had watched her carefully as she took their orders and buzzed around between tables like a bee serving other patrons their food and drinks. He was relieved to see that no more traces of distress were evident in her demeanor, but he felt a heaviness in his chest every time he remembered walking up to her car in the parking lot and seeing her in there. He had felt an initial panic, a tightness in his ribcage and he nearly busted the window open as he knocked on it. Relief had washed over him when Penny opened her eyes and screamed at his sudden presence, but watching her cry after that had taken a lot out of him. He was usually repelled by outpouring of emotion, especially dramatic female tears, but watching Penny cry ignited a fierce desire in him to shield her from what ailed her, to somehow build her own shell to protect her from pain.

As their lunch commenced, every once in awhile Sheldon would catch her eye and she would give him one of her dazzling smiles that caused his breath to hitch in his throat. And on more than one occasion, Junior would catch him staring. "Little brother, you've got it bad," he groaned after Penny took Junior's cash to pay for the tab. Sheldon did a double take on his brother and raised an eyebrow.

"What are you going on about?" he asked impatiently.

"Oh, just how you've been undressing poor Penny with your eyes since the moment we sat down."

"Must you be so crass?" Sheldon asked and stared down at his glass of lemonade.

"You're the one eye-fucking her in public," Junior retorted. "If you ask me, that's pretty crass."

"Just clocked out. You guys ready to go?" Penny suddenly appeared behind Sheldon before he could reprimand his brother again. He turned around and looked up at her green eyes.

"I am ready. Junior?" Sheldon scrutinized his brother with a look that was half-pleading, half-murderous.

"I was born ready." Junior grinned and handed Penny another stack of bills. "You're an excellent waitress, Penny. Thanks for having us."

"No, I'm not," Penny chuckled. "What's this?" She held her hand flat as the bills were placed on her palm.

"It's your tip," Junior said as he closed her fist around the money. The three of them began to walk out of the restaurant as Penny tried to protest and give the money back to him. "No, I insist." He walked a few steps ahead of her, dodging her attempt to stuff the money in his hands.

"Just take it, Penny," Sheldon advised as they all climbed into her car, him in the front seat ("Eternal dibs," he explained to Junior) and his brother in the backseat. "Junior loves spending money for the sake of showing it."

"Not true," Junior said as Penny finally relented and stuff the cash into her apron. "Penny is an excellent server."

"No she isn't," both Penny and Sheldon said at the same time before they both cracked up. Sheldon looked at Penny with a sideways glance as she pulled out of the parking lot and made a left, merging into late afternoon traffic. She was in stark contrast with her gloomy mood from earlier, and Sheldon felt better as well. He knew that they would have to deal with the ramifications of whatever had transpired between them when the time came, but for now, Sheldon was content being close to her and having her within his reach. This day, which he had initially been dreading, had turned out to be surprisingly pleasant. After an awkward morning and ongoing silence between the two brothers, Junior and Sheldon quickly fell into planning moves and attacks to practice at the gym before breaking for lunch. Not willing to admit it aloud, he had enjoyed the time with Junior as they regaled each other with old stories from their days of spotting matches. Not that Sheldon ever considered it an honorable past time, but like he told Penny, something about engaging in the atmosphere of a bloody throw down had gotten Sheldon's blood pumping in a disturbing way.

Still, he found himself unwilling to enjoy Junior's presence too much. Since they were kids, Junior had always been a magnet for things that were good and bad alike. His personality was that of a social butterfly. He was a hit with the ladies and a good friend to his male comrades. But Sheldon grew up watching George Cooper Jr. manipulate those around him to get them to do his bidding. He had even done it to Sheldon, and he was innately sure that he was doing it now. So when Sheldon felt his tenacity to keep his brother at arm's length softening, he forced himself to remember all trouble that follows Junior around as well.

His thoughts were interrupted when Penny parked the car and turned to face him. "We're here, Sheldon." He nodded at her in appreciation and unbuckled his seatbelt but stopped when he felt Penny's hand on top of his.

"I'll head inside," Junior said as he climbed out of the backseat and took his duffle bag with him. Alone in the car, Sheldon looked at Penny with a questioning gaze.

"I just wanted to thank you again for earlier," she said shyly. "It was crazy how much I was thinking about you while I sat in the car, wishing you were with me, and then suddenly you were there."

Sheldon didn't trust himself to speak as he watched Penny's lips move. The blush he loved so much on her skin was back and it made her face glow. Instead of replying, he nodded mutely.

"You're sort of my unlikely knight in shining armor, Sheldon." She giggled and shrugged her shoulders. "Okay, let's go inside." She lifted her hand away from Sheldon's that was still grasping the buckle of his seatbelt, but before she could move away entirely, Sheldon softly grabbed her fingers and pulled them towards him, causing Penny to lean over the center console until she was just an inch away from him. She opened her mouth to speak but Sheldon quickly covered it with his own. He left his eyes slightly open as he kissed her, fascinated by the tiny moans that formed at the back of her throat as he deepened the kiss, slightly grazing his tongue against hers. Then he pulled away and they both backed into their respective doors, gasping for breath while they considered each other. He gave her a weak nod and as if on cue, they both unlatched their belts and stepped out of the car, slamming the doors in sync. He watched Penny walk next to him, her knees slightly wobbling and he noted her peculiar behavior to research later, along with where this sudden urge to reach out and kiss her had come from. Holding open the door to the gym, he allowed her to enter first and they were immediately met with the cold blast of air conditioning fueled by the establishment. It felt good on Sheldon's red face and he looked down at Penny as she exhaled in pleasure.

"God, it feels so good in here," she purred, running a hand through her hair.

"Indeed it does," he agreed, trying not to let his stare linger too long on the way she played with her long, blonde locks. He scanned the building and spotted Junior off in a far corner with the weights. "Come on, Penny." He led her through a maze of people that were performing different tasks to help build endurance and pummeling bags with their fists at high speeds.

"This isn't like a gym with a membership requirement, is it?" Penny suddenly asked, her eyes wide as she surveyed the crowd of men and women who were involved in intense grappling techniques in front of a wall of mirrors.

"No," Junior said as he heard Sheldon and Penny approach. He had taken the liberty to change into some black trunks and a plain white wife-beater while he waited for the pair of them to come inside. Now pulling on a pair of black gloves with holes for the fingers, he looked right at home with the crowd with his rugged looks and bright tattoos that sleeved both of his arms. "These sorts of gyms are mostly for people who train to fight. They're not owned by big chain corporations and their weight-lifting equipment isn't exactly up to federal standards," he pointed at the piles of benches and metal that surrounded them. "It was hard finding this place. But worth it."

"I see," Penny said softly, her eyes still fixed on the people wrestling in front of the wall of mirrors. "So what are you going to do first?"

"He's going to warm up with some basic crunches and push-ups to get his blood flowing," Sheldon spoke up, rolling his sleeves up to his elbows and reaching into Junior's duffle bag for a stop watch and clipboard. He wore the watch like a necklace and studied the check list he printed that morning that was clipped to the board. "Then we are going to attempt some moves that I drew up."

"When you say 'we'…" Penny said slowly, her eyes darting from Sheldon to Junior and back again.

"Yep," Junior replied with a grin. "Shelly here has volunteered to be my punching bag." Sheldon shook his head with a slight look of derision before opening his mouth to speak, but was quickly interrupted by Penny who took a large step between the two brothers and faced Junior with a menacing glare.

"The hell he is," she nearly growled, causing Junior to jump back with his arms up and laugh.

"Penny," Sheldon began, placing two hands on her shoulders and turning her around to face him. "No one is going to punch anybody. But it will be necessary for Junior to practice grappling with a partner therefore I will be stepping in."

"Unless, you're interested," Junior tried, but quickly shut his mouth when Sheldon tossed him a warning glare. "_Just _a suggestion."

"Oh," Penny sighed. "Alright. Just…be careful." She gave Sheldon a concerned frown that he felt a rush of amusement for.

"Of course, Penny," he assured her and released his hold on her shoulders. He pointed to a small set of bleachers that were propped up against the wall and she followed his gaze, watching them the whole time as she took a seat and leaned forward with rapt attention.

"Alright, Junior, on the mat," Sheldon ordered, his voice firm as he faced his brother. "I'll get our moves ready." He began to sketch more notes on the clipboard as Junior laid flat on the blue mat and began his first rep of crunches.

* * *

The time had come when Sheldon joined Junior on the mat and Penny felt her heart begin to pump blood at an accelerated rate. Even though Sheldon was volunteering to stand in to help Junior practice some of his take downs, just the visual of him being pinned down and helpless against a man truly stronger than him caused her to panic slightly.

"Alright, big man, let's see whatchya got," a drawl sounded from the center of the mat as Sheldon and Junior faced each other in their respective crouches, grinning like fools from ear to ear. Penny was nearly overcome with shock when she realized the southern twang she had just heard was not from Junior, but had come from Sheldon. He was still dressed in his Green Lantern T-shirt and slacks, but he was poised to spring on Junior as if he were a wrestler from way back.

"I've been waiting for this all day," Junior sneered, sweat dripping from his face as he leaned in closer to Sheldon, swiping at his younger brother with his thick arms. They countered each other's steps, mirroring their stances exactly and still smiling like predators about to pounce on their prey. Suddenly, Junior leapt forward, opening his arms to wrap them around Sheldon and Penny cried out in surprise when Sheldon barrel-rolled to the side, landing on his feet in a split second and effectively dodging Junior's attack.

"Whoa!" she breathed, her brain finally catching up with her sight as she realized Sheldon had moved out of the way in time with the stealth of a man with complete focus. Impressed but still vaguely concerned, she peered back at Junior who had sprawled flat onto his belly after missing the takedown. He scrambled back up to his feet as Sheldon chortled.

"Big tree fall hard, huh Junior?" he teased, his eyebrows low and a shit-eating grin plastered on his face.

"Let's find out," Junior yelped and before Sheldon could jump out of the way, Junior fell purposefully on his thigh and kicked out a leg, swiping Sheldon's ankles from beneath him and caused the physicist to hit the ground hard. Penny let out another yell of panic when she saw Junior lunge on top of Sheldon, pinning his arms flat by his sides and nudging his forehead into Sheldon's throat, pressing down hard.

"Oh, my God," Penny jumped up from her seat, tortured between running to the mat to kick Junior in his side or just allowing them to continue training. She waited for a beat longer before she saw Sheldon buck his chest up so high that he wiggled and arm loose from Junior's grasp and bent it, bringing his sharp elbow down hard on his shoulder. Junior yowled in pain and flip over onto his side, where Sheldon had managed to sit up in an upright position and yank Junior's arms over his head. He released Junior's right arm and clenched his thighs tight around his left arm, pulling it straight up towards him while digging his heels into Junior's ribs.

"Arm bar!" Sheldon cried triumphantly in his high-pitched voice. Penny watched in mild horror as Sheldon continued to yank on Junior's arm, pulling it so tight that he began to recline and the arm looked in danger of being pulled out of its socket. Then Junior's thick fingers frantically tapped Sheldon's thighs. The younger brother immediately released his hold and unclenched his thighs that had trapped Junior's arm between them. He rolled over and scrambled to his feet, pumping his fists in victory so high that his shirt rode up and Penny could see a faint trail of hair underneath his belly button disappear into his slacks.

"Fuckin' shit," Junior muttered, still on his knees as he peered up at Sheldon with tired eyes. "I forgot how quick you were."

By now, a few people training in the gym had stopped what they were doing to see what all the fuss was about, some showing blatant interest in Sheldon's submission move on his brother who was obviously stockier than he was. Sheldon composed himself and clasped his hands behind is back, still grinning. "Want to go again?"

Penny couldn't help but smile as she saw Junior look up from his kneeling position at Sheldon and a fiery, focused look crossed over his features before he smiled widely and nodded. "Goddamn right, I do." Then much to Penny's surprise, Sheldon crossed the mat in two steps and leaned forward, extended his arm for Junior to take, which he did, and helped his big brother up to his feet.

* * *

Before he knew it, two hours had passed and Sheldon felt more alive than he had in years. His heart was racing, he had sweat through his shirts so much that he was seriously considering removing them all together, but he was still Dr. Sheldon Cooper, so that was out of the question. He was lying flat on the mat when Junior had tossed a clean towel on his chest. "Nice workout, little brother. You really created some kick-ass moves for me to use." Then he collapsed on the mat next to him and they both tried to catch their breath.

"Is that all you guys got?" Penny asked playfully as she walked up to them from her spot on the bleachers. "That was amazing. I didn't know you had it in you, Moonpie." Sheldon opened his eyes and found Penny's face beaming at him from above.

"I know," he replied breathlessly. Drenched in sweat, he flapped his arms before adding, "And don't call me Moonpie." Junior let out a wheezy laugh somewhere behind them. _I'm going to have to burn these clothes,_ Sheldon realized. "I feel disgusting. We must leave so I can get out of these clothes and into a shower." He watched Penny sit down in her Cheesecake Factory uniform and cross her legs Indian-style on his other side. She caressed his hair out of his eyes, the sweat he had accumulated allowing it to lay flat against his head. He grinned up at her.

"I don't know," she said softly. "You look kind of sexy when you're all sweaty and stinky."

"Penny," Sheldon said scornfully and moved his head away from her touch. "Don't be ridiculous." Still, the smile didn't leave his face. He had seen her watching him from the bleachers and though he had initially been worried to act like such a brute in front of her, soon all caution was to the wind as he got into the zone with Junior. Sheldon was relieved to see that Penny seemed like she was enjoying herself, as well.

"Alright, love birds," Junior groaned and sat up straight. "Tomorrow is Tuesday, which means Penny is going to go watch Kurt train, where hopefully 'Rob'," he made air quotes, "will be there, too." He looked at Sheldon who was still lying flat on the ground, catching his breath. "Is this still the plan?"

"Yeah," Penny answered, nodding confidently.

Sheldon struggled to sit up and leaned on his elbows, regarding Penny carefully. "Are you sure you want to do this, Penny?"

"I am."

"Then it's settled," Junior said. He got to his feet slowly, looking around the gym at the crowd that had begun to thin out. "Let's get out of here."

Penny got to her feet as well before helping Sheldon up, and he winced as his back ached in pain. "I guess you're not as young as you once were," she whispered to Sheldon in a teasing voice. Immediately, Sheldon was taken back to the night where Penny had twisted her ankle and he had massaged her leg and said something similar to her. He rolled his eyes as Penny laughed and the three of them gathered their things and headed out into the parking lot. While Penny drove, Sheldon kept sneaking looks at her face. Today had ultimately been a good day, but he couldn't fight the coiled feeling in his stomach knowing that tomorrow, being that Penny would be stepping into a dangerous situation to record Marky, could be a different story.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: The beginning of this chapter was supposed to go with the last one, but I thought I'd separate it to give you guys a treat for Chapter 10. Thank you so much to all of you who have been here since Chapter 1 and to all of my amazing new readers – your kind words are the inspiration that keep me going. **

**Here's a little something to sink your teeth into before the real drama begins. This one is for you guys!** **Enjoy ;)**

* * *

To say that Penny had a bad relationship with her mother was an understatement. She hadn't spoken to her in years. Her mother had an opiate addiction and rarely opened her mouth for anything more than to berate all of her children and her husband. When she was in 10th grade, Penny was suspended from school for being one of four kids caught fooling around in a ditch by the school and her mother was called to come pick her up. It didn't help matters when Penny's mother had arrived in a tight pair of jeans and lime green tube top that didn't flatter her figure at all and everyone was staring in barely hidden disgust, even the administrators in the school's front office. She slapped the top of the counter with her chipped, red nail polished-hands and demanded to be given her "goddamn kid". When Penny came around the corner, she grabbed her by her ear and yanked her a good five feet down the hall until Penny finally ripped herself out of her mother's grasp and they stared each other down with identical fiery green eyes.

"Girl," her mother whispered hoarsely. "Don't give me that look. Like you're better than me. I'm not the one who got caught jerking off some little prick behind my high school."

"I _am_ better than you!" Penny shrieked, her slender body vibrating as the roar left her throat. She turned to leave, blindly walking anywhere her feet would take her. Then she heard her mother cackle.

"No you're not. You're a taker. Sooner or later, you're gonna take too much and get what's coming to you."

When Penny whirled around to argue, her mother had already turned her back and was walking away. Her steps were tentative, wobbly, because it was only 10 AM and she was already high off of her ass. Penny watched her slam her palms on one of the double doors and push it open then she jumped when it slammed shut behind her mother's figure as it was swallowed by the outside sunlight. She stood there alone in the foyer of the school's lobby for a very long time, mulling over her mother's warning.

It had been a little over 12 years since that day and she still thought about it more than she'd like to admit. Her mother eventually had to get clean before she received a liver transplant, but even sobriety failed to make her a more pleasant person.

_You're a taker. _

Penny tossed and turned in her bed, the sheets clinging to the bare skin on her legs and she felt swallowed inside of a darkness of her own making. She was a taker in this situation, swooping down in on Amy's boyfriend while she was away. Sheldon had made it clear that he would handle the situation with Amy, but that did little to alleviate Penny's guilt. And what exactly did he mean? Would he dump her and be with Penny? Would Amy hate her forever? And no matter what Sheldon did to "handle" it, it still left Penny with Leonard. Her poor, unsuspecting boyfriend who had left her with one task-to watch over his roommate. In some sick way, Penny was doing just as he requested. But when he came back from his voyage on the North Sea, he would be expecting Penny to jump into his arms and welcome him back then pick up where they left off. What kind of welcome would Leonard come home to now?

_Sooner or later, you're gonna take too much and get what's coming to you. _

She would lose Amy, of that she was sure. And also in the guarantee she would lose Raj and Howard who would no doubt take Leonard's side. Bernadette, she couldn't be certain. Penny fought back tears as she tossed in her bed again, flopping onto her side.

Maybe she was a taker, maybe she was selfish, and who knew if throwing away all of her friendships would be worth it? But it dawned on her that she needed Sheldon like air to breathe. If someone had pulled 21 year-old Penny aside and warned her that in six years she would fall for the quirky, thin and pale nerd who once banished her for sitting on the left side of the couch, she would have laughed in their face. Then again, if the same person had warned her that there was so much more than what meets the eye in Sheldon Cooper, she would still be doubtful.

When this whole mess began, she had set out to protect him, keep him from harm. But lately she had seen a whole new side of him, a side where he was set on protecting _her_. She had been shocked to see him standing outside of her car door while she cried for him. And then he admitted to be willing to take her pain and feel it himself…well, Penny would be lying to herself if she wasn't touched by that. And twice he initiated the touching, the kissing. She curled into a ball as she clenched her legs together, the passionate caress of Sheldon's kiss suddenly invading her memory and caused her lower abdomen to swirl with heat. _Who knew that he had that in him?_

Then came a sudden onrush of images of Sheldon, arms flexing as he overpowered his brother in the gym, the primal focus on his boyish face, his tongue darting out to lick his bottom lip as he dodged attacks in complete concentration. Penny had watched in awe as Sheldon's body moved lithely, elegant, almost as agile as his athlete brother, but with enough determination for the both of them. And in the midst of it all, he took every opportunity to teach his brother how to correctly perform a move or tighten his routine. Sheldon detested lecturing, but he sure didn't seem to mind lending his expertise to Junior.

Penny threw caution to the wind as she sat up in bed and reached for her cell phone. She unplugged it from the charger and looked at the time, noticing it was already a quarter after midnight. She knew chances were that he would already be asleep, but she found herself snatching her robe off its hanger and slipped it on anyway, stepping lightly around her apartment as she searched for a pair of slippers. She _needed _to see Sheldon at once.

_Need, need, need._ Maybe Penny's mom was right. But when it came to Sheldon Cooper, Penny was more than willing to give as much as receive.

* * *

Sheldon was slightly annoyed at everything, at himself.

He was sitting at the kitchen table, slouched over a mug of warm milk and the three pages drafted for the termination of his Relationship Agreement. What kind of person drew up Relationship Agreements? Who was he when he typed this contract? He nearly laughed at the severity and conformity of the Agreement, but there was nothing funny about losing touch with who you thought you were.

To obtain the adequate amount of sleep in order to be well rested for tomorrow, Sheldon should have been asleep two hours and 36 minutes ago. Instead, he was kept up by the incessant reminder of what tomorrow brought, of his impending decision to end his relationship with Amy, and more pressing, how disturbingly frequent the urges to touch Penny were becoming. For the last few days, he had been able to restrict his behavior to mere kissing, but even the act in itself, the willingness to exchange bodily fluids, the craving to illicit pleasurable sounds from her; it was hardly the proper behavior of a man like Sheldon. Even more disturbing was how much _more_ he wanted.

An errant thought of pressing his own bare skin to Penny's had him flying out of his bed like it was on fire and into a brisk walk around his apartment an hour ago, willing the hardness between his legs to disappear. And when it finally had, the will to sleep had abandoned him.

Damn it all, he felt more vulnerable than anything else. Sheldon Cooper did not feel many things on principle, but vulnerability was the straw that broke the camel's back. He felt as though he was at the cusp of something deliriously exciting, like he was a one-man landing party from the Enterprise on a new uncharted planet that was ruled by Penny. But he was also disturbed by the amount of change that he would be arriving in his life. No matter what happened from now on, things would never be the same. He couldn't continue to live feet away from a woman he felt strongly for and return to normal when Amy and Leonard were back from their respective journeys. He should have realized that life would never be normal again after Junior arrived, no matter how hard he tried to maintain homeostasis.

He looked down at the paperwork and realized it signified a great deal more than just the end of his relationship, but also the insurmountable beginning of what was inevitably a tenuous future with Penny. He twirled the sheets of paper on the table top, watching the words become a blur when he heard footsteps coming from the hallway. "Shelly?" Sheldon remained quiet as his brother appeared in the kitchen.

"I saw the light on," Junior announced in a sleepy voice. He was shirtless and adjusting the waistband of his Batman patterned PJ bottoms.

"I didn't know you were a fan of the Dark Knight," Sheldon murmured, more to himself than an invitation to engage in conversation.

"These are actually from Missy," Junior said with a grin. "I think she wanted me to give them to you."

Sheldon frowned deeply and shook his head. "You would." He clucked his tongue, admiring the PJ's from afar.

"I didn't pack any PJ's," Junior defended. "I thought I'd be sleeping buck-naked in a hotel."

"No matter. I already have a sufficient amount of PJ bottoms and have assigned rotation for each wear during the week."

"Good to know," Junior muttered as he approached the table where Sheldon sat. "Whatchya drinking there?" He craned his neck and leaned forward to look inside the coffee mug full of milk but Sheldon hastily snatched to his chest before he could see, suddenly requiring privacy of his choice of beverage. Junior just shrugged and leaned back. "Thanks, by the way. For allowing me to keep staying here again."

"It's slightly more convenient having you here than in a hotel where you surely would be hard to reach after a night of drinking and love-making with a street walker."

"Hey, none of that while I'm training. You know how serious I take it," Junior protested, taking a seat across the table from Sheldon. "Speaking of which, you been working out lately?"

"Pardon me?"

"You're filling out, Sheldon," Junior marveled at his younger brother like a proud mama bird. "Plus, you roughed me up pretty good at the gym today. Sure you weren't just showing off for Miss Fancy Pants next door?"

"I'm a 33 year-old man," Sheldon said tiredly, dodging Junior's mention of Penny. "I was bound to assert an amount of bulk sooner or later. And if you must know, I have introduced far more protein into my diet than usual in the last two years as well as increased the amount of cardio-based XBOX Kinect games into my downtime. The proliferation of the undead fascination in media has reminded me that the zombie apocalypse will commence accordingly. It's in everyone's best interest to be prepared." He looked down and continued to twirl the termination to his Relationship Agreement with his index and middle finger, thumbing the handle of his coffee mug with his other hand.

"That's the little brother I know and love," Junior murmured after a minute of companionable silence.

"You don't know anything about me," Sheldon argued, slightly surprised by the fervor that soaked his sentence. He looked up hesitantly, unsure of what he'd find in Junior's face, but was taken aback by the amused squint he was facing. "What's so funny?"

"Penny told me the same thing last night." Junior suddenly shot out his hand and stopped the papers beneath Sheldon's fingers from spinning to pull them towards him.

"That's private!" Sheldon tried to grasp the papers back but it was too late as Junior was now reading the first paragraph aloud.

"I, Sheldon Lee Cooper, herein and further known as the 'ex-boyfriend', do move to terminate the entity of the Relationship Agreement between myself and Amy Farrah Fowler, herein and further known as the 'ex-girlfriend'." Junior looked up and studied Sheldon's face which was reddening by the second. "Are you…are you for real?"

"Like I said," Sheldon spit as he walked around the table and grabbed the papers back from Junior, crumpling them between his fists. "These are private matters. Go back to sleep, Junior. Leave me be." Sheldon towered over his brother who remained seated, but their eyes met evenly. Just as he was about to turn around to finish his milk in his room, Junior spoke.

"I know that you drink warm milk when you can't sleep. I know you send Meemaw requests for her homemade snicker doodles every winter's solstice because the sugar goes good with your hot chocolate. Your favorite song growing up was _Bohemian Rhapsody_. Your first imaginary friend's name was Frapton, Charles Frapton. You two were responsible for zapping Missy's eyebrows off with her Easy Bake Oven when y'all were eight. You demanded separate parties from Missy every birthday, and every year you wanted a Commander Spock birthday theme up until you were 9. It drove Mom nuts because the Party City back home didn't have Star Trek themed birthday props for kids. When you were 10, you snuck into my comic book collection and read your very first Flash comic. That year, your birthday was Flash themed." Junior's face was soft with nostalgia and he smiled at the empty space over Sheldon's shoulder as the younger brother remained silent. "Your favorite mixed-martial art strategy is the sprawl and brawl because you hate an incomplete takedown. And apparently you prefer blondes to brunettes."

"Hardly impressive," Sheldon said after clearing his throat. "All trivial." He looked down and frowned at his mug of milk. It was no longer warm. "And it was Charles _Frampton_." Betraying his will, Sheldon smiled as he looked up at Junior. "Missy's eyebrows grew in uneven for four full years."

"They still do," Junior laughed, slapping the table with an open palm. "I catch her every day, plucking the hairs on her brow like some obsessive compulsive. It gets me every time." They laughed together, quietly and easily. Sheldon's shoulders finally quit shaking long enough for him to inhale deeply and compose himself. Just as he was about to open his mouth to say something else, Junior interrupted him. "That night sixteen years ago when Marky beat in Abel's head, I told you that I didn't know how I could ever do right by you again. Since that night, I haven't made much progress, Shelly. But if it means anything, I'm here if you'd like to…" he motioned with his neck at the crumpled papers of the termination lying on the table, "…talk about anything. About Penny or…Amy, was it?"

Sheldon's mood suddenly soured as he took circled the table and went back to his seat. "Not necessary. I'm perfectly capable of determining what is suitable for my own life, thank you."

"Sheldon, not even you, a genius by any measurable scale, have managed to get women figured out."

"Sure I have," Sheldon countered. "They're all bat-crap crazy." His face betrayed no emotion as Junior regarded him with an impressed nod.

"I guess you're right." They laughed together again, mirroring each other's tight grins and squinted eyes. Suddenly, Sheldon's apartment door nudged open slowly and in peeked a head full of blonde hair.

"Speak of the devil," Junior whispered. Sheldon barely heard him over the pounding of his own heart.

* * *

"I heard laughing," Penny croaked as two pairs of intense blue eyes studied her with curiosity. "I…I'm sorry, you guys were talking. I'll go."

"Nonsense," Junior bellowed, waving her over cheerfully. "You're here just in time. Sheldon's milk has gotten cold. He needs a new glass."

Penny pushed the door open further and gave Junior a dirty look. "I didn't come here to take orders, dumb ass."

"So hard to find good help these days," Junior stage-whispered to Sheldon, rolling his eyes. "Alright, you two have fun. I'm out." He rose from his chair and winked at Penny. "Goodn_iiii_ght."

And then there were two.

Penny hovered near the door, half of her body still outside as she looked at Sheldon.

"Come in," Sheldon finally said, slightly hoarse from lack of sleep.

Penny's heart jumped at the husky texture of his voice and pushed forward, closing the door behind her. She tip-toed into the apartment, her slippers silently gliding along the wooden tiles. "Your brother is really annoying."

"Among other things," Sheldon rolled his eyes in a perfect imitation of Junior. "Has sleep eluded you as well tonight, Penny?"

"Yeah, unfortunately," she admitted, wringing her hands together in front of her chest. _I couldn't get you and the vision of you flexing your pinning skills out of my head_, she wanted to say. But_ could_ she be upfront and honest with Sheldon? Surely the kissing had been amicable, but what exactly did he want from all of this? Would her admission of feelings cause him to run for the hills?

"Would you like some warm milk?" His voice was creamy like soft-serve, jolting Penny from her worrisome thoughts.

"No thank you, sweetie," she shook her head and smiled. "So, why are you up so late?"

"I'm not sure," Sheldon admitted, his face suddenly thoughtful as though he was surprised by his own answer. Penny watched him mentally go back and forth with himself before he continued. "I suppose it's good that I am up anyway, or you would have snuck into an empty kitchen."

"Yeah," Penny said sheepishly. "Sorry about that. I didn't want to knock in case you were sleeping."

A sly smile suddenly appeared on Sheldon's lips. It caused Penny's breathing to hitch; the playful expression on Sheldon's face was so out of character. "Why knock if you have a key?" He paused then added, "And if I had been sleeping? What then, Penny?"

"I…" Penny grasped for the words to finish her sentence but Sheldon was now up on his feet and slowly coming around the table to meet her. His robe was untied to reveal that he was only wearing his plaid PJ bottoms and a plain white T-shirt underneath. As he got closer, she could see his face in the dim light, a faint shadow of a beard dotting his usually smooth chin and cheeks. A rush of warmth came over her body as he continued walking towards her. Penny tried to rack her brain at warp speed, attempting to remember the last time she had been turned on by a man without first wasting countless minutes on lukewarm foreplay. Just watching Sheldon walk toward her and anticipating the feel of his body against hers was enough to make Penny's insides rain.

"Would you have come into my room?" he asked in a lightly scolding tone, waggling a lazy finger at her chest as he closed the distance between them. "Would you?" A flash of what seemed like daring suddenly appeared in Sheldon's cobalt eyes, initially causing Penny to go weak in the knees. But she quickly composed herself as he lowered his finger and pressed it lightly to the center of her chest, grazing the space between her breasts. Her eyes lowered until her gaze rested on his finger.

Penny recognized a challenge when she saw one.

"What if I said that I would've gone into your room?" Her voice sounded foreign even to her; it matched the low register and frisky undertone of Sheldon's voice.

"I…" Sheldon began, rolling his eyes up as if searching for a fit reply. "…would have administered you a strike." His finger lingered on Penny's chest, his touch dormant above the low neck line of her tank top.

"Oh," she pouted, maintaining eye contact with him as though her life depended on it. "That doesn't sound so bad." They were close enough to embrace now, but neither made a move to touch the other, save for Sheldon's finger that was still pressed against the sensitive skin of her cleavage. "Nothing I can't handle." As the last word left her mouth, he removed his finger from her chest and brought his hand up to touch her neck, his flat palm rubbing its way to the back of her head. She gasped when he curled his fingers and lightly grabbed a handful of the hair at the base of her neck.

"Your pupils are dilated, anatomically suggesting a release of oxytocin; which of course means you enjoy the sensation of your hair being pulled."

If it had come from any other person's lips, Penny would've been bored. Leave it to Sheldon to refer to a biological response and leave her weak in the knees. "Let's find out what makes your pupils dilate," she purred, one eyebrow perched high as she stared him down. His eyes went wide as Penny reached out slowly and placed both of her hands on each of his shoulders and lightly squeezed. "Warmer or colder?"

She secretly reveled in the increased rate of his breathing, figuring he would remove himself from her touch before it got more serious, but once again, he surprised her. "Cold." Penny lowered her hands, her palms flat against his shirt as they grazed over his defined chest, and stopped when she felt his hardened nipples. Biting her lip to stifle a giggle, she looked up expectantly for his response. "Warmer." She brought her hands down until they reached his hip bones and she jutted her thumbs inward, rubbing his stomach softly and watched in delight as he threw his head back, his pale neck exposing itself to her. "Warmer."

"It's about to start getting hotter," she teased, still moving her thumbs in small circles while her fingers splayed out onto his hips. She could feel the definition of the V-shape on Sheldon's stomach as she rubbed lower. Now her own breath was beginning to quicken. Abruptly, before she could change her mind, Penny slipped her fingers into the waistband of his PJ bottoms and hooked them onto the elastic of both the pants and his underwear.

"Hot," Sheldon whispered, lowering his neck so that he could meet her eyes.

But before she took the next step, she had to know. "Are you sure?" Penny hated herself for asking as soon as the question left her lips. She couldn't guarantee that even if Sheldon had asked her to stop that she could have. She was beginning to feel her most moist and luscious body parts begin to ripen.

"Don't stop," Sheldon pleaded, almost warning her with a shake of his head that she would be sorry if she did. That was enough confirmation for her.

"Your room," she commanded, releasing one hand from his waistband and using the other to yank him in the direction of the hall. He followed silently, their feet shuffling in sync as they passed Leonard's closed bedroom door where hopefully Junior was sleeping like a log. It was about to get loud in apartment 4A.

"Lock the door," Sheldon ordered as she pushed both of them into the solitude of his room. He must be thinking the same thing she was, Penny realized as she obliged, flipping the horizontal lock into a vertical position on the brass knob. The air inside of his bedroom was uninhabited, crisp and delicious, like the heartbeat of autumn. It was a temperature that caused Penny's own nipples to swell.

"Bed," she directed with a point of her finger as she shrugged off her robe with a roll of her shoulders. She smiled shyly as Sheldon sat down on the edge of the bed, never taking his eyes off of her as she revealed that she was only wearing a pair of black boy shorts and a very thin black tank top beneath her pink robe. She closed the gap between them and pushed Sheldon's knees apart with her thighs, standing directly in front of him. His face was conveniently eye-level with her breasts. She resumed her touch, placing her hands on either of his shoulders, and lowered her face so that she could place a light kiss on his lips. He leaned into her and wrapped his trembling arms around her waist, emitting a deep moan as he deepened the embrace. Penny pulled away and pressed her forehead to his. "You taste amazing," she said, meaning it.

"Penny." Sheldon's hands were suddenly on her waist, pushing her away with weak force. Her heart palpitated; he finally snapped and was about to kick her out on her ass. "I'm afraid I've approached the boundaries of what I consider to be my knowledgeable territory."

"English, Sheldon."

"I…I'm not quite sure what to do now." His eyes were round and fearful, but he appeared eager to know more. Penny felt relief wash over her, coupled with an almost primal awakening; she was about to teach Sheldon something he didn't know for a change.

She lowered her face to the side of Sheldon's ear, wetting her lips and whispered, "I want you to lie flat on your back right now." When he did as he was told, Penny climbed up after him, straddling him with a knee on either side of his hip. She kept her weight on her knees and pressed them further into the mattress so that she could avoid touching his center with hers. "I am going to go slow, Sheldon. I want you to relax and not worry. Stop me if you'd like."

"Penny," Sheldon whispered, his eyes dead set on her body as it hovered over him and his hands clenching her thighs. "I don't think I could stop you if I wanted to. Which I do not."

"You really are a genius." She winked at him as he narrowed his eyes. "Ready?" He nodded, and Penny lowered herself, gently lifting off of her knees so that she could comfortably rest her weight on top of him. Before she could sit completely, Penny's center was met with Sheldon's sturdy erection muffled by his pants. She hissed and shut her eyes as she completed her descent, angling her hips so that she didn't crush him but felt his hardness twitch against her. Her eyes flew open in surprise as Sheldon's large hands closed themselves on her hips and brought her down closer. On his own accord, he began to push and pull her, rocking her hips against him. "Feels good?" she asked him, trying to keep the porn actress out of her voice. She knew guttural '_yeah, baby_'s and '_you like that?_'s would surely not be sexy to Sheldon.

But Sheldon didn't speak, his own eyes fluttering closed and only nodding in confirmation. She allowed him to rock their hips together, feeling him push up with a tiny, rhythmic thrust of his pelvis. Each time his erection pressed against the sensitive lips of her opening, she felt a surge of satisfaction contract her insides. "Kiss me." His voice brought her out of her trance and she leaned forward, pressing her lips to his Adam's apple, then his chin, then finally his lips. He continued to use his hands to move Penny's hips in a circle, causing her moist center to rub harder against him, his breathing rapidly becoming shallow as his tongue explored her the inside of her mouth. Suddenly, he thrusted upward roughly, causing their kiss to break apart and Penny to let out a low whine of pleasure near his ear. She nipped at his lobe and Sheldon echoed her, allowing his own sounds of pleasure to fill the air.

Penny was done with foreplay. "I'm going to take off my panties now and pull down your underwear," she prepared him, lifting a leg and rolling off of him.

"I have a condom in my wallet," he said with an almost shameful expression. "Right there on the nightstand." He pointed with his head, his hands clutching the tail of his T-shirt. "Behind the, um, Justice League membership card."

"Got it," Penny held back a laugh as she reached for his wallet, ripping open the Velcro and reaching two fingers inside of his card holder for the condom in question. She pulled it out and set his wallet back down on the nightstand. "How long have you had this?" She was only asking because she wanted to make sure it wasn't a condom Sheldon had been holding onto for years and was way past its expiration date.

"Only about a month," Sheldon admitted, again looking shameful.

Penny did the quick math; a month ago, Amy had been over the moon after a private round of Dungeons & Dragons that had taken place in this very room between her and Sheldon wherein he admitted that the possibility of coitus with Amy had not been "ruled out". She called Penny with all of the details that at the time, Penny had found sweet yet extremely nerdy. Now, as she supplied Sheldon with a weak smile, it made her feel sick to her stomach, her mind jumping to undesirable conclusions. _This condom was meant for Amy._

"Hey," Sheldon noticed the hesitation that Penny must have been wearing across her face. "Penny? Are you alright?" He released the hold on his shirt and propped himself up on his elbows, peering at Penny with sincere interest.

"Yeah," she said but wasn't sure if she was. "I…give me a minute. I have to go to the bathroom." She tossed the condom onto the nightstand and turned on her heels to exit. The air that had once felt cool and delicious against her skin was gone, the heat of her own embarrassment scaling every inch of her body as she rushed out of Sheldon's room and shut the door behind her. She walked into the bathroom and flipped on the light, reaching for sink and braced herself in front of the mirror. Her cheeks were rosy and her lips were swollen from kissing Sheldon. She suddenly felt so stupid. And for a reason she couldn't understand, her conversation with Junior at the bar Sunday night echoed in her mind.

_I see the way Sheldon looks at you like you're the next coming, and how willingly you put yourself on the line for him._

Penny found herself shutting off the light in the bathroom and marching straight back to Sheldon's room. She flung the door open and then locked it behind her, took a deep breath, then whirled around to face Sheldon. He was sitting Indian-style on his bed, his hands at rest on his thighs and he wore a concerned yet bemused expression. "Are you okay?"

"I'm giving up a lot here, Sheldon," Penny heard herself say shrilly, with rising panic in her voice. She didn't want to screw up this beautiful, erotic moment between them, but it had to be said. "With the situation I'm putting myself in tomorrow with Marky, and dealing with Junior, and the possibility that soon I'll be losing Leonard, Amy, Raj and Howard…I can't explain it any other way except that I'm willing to go all in with you. This—having sex—isn't going to be a one-time thing for me." She motioned with her arm, waving the air between them. "You mean a lot to me. And I need to know that it's going to be worth it." Penny never coined herself as an eloquent person, and she was more than sure that her sudden outburst was making no sense whatsoever, but she felt a load lift off of her shoulders. The time had come for Sheldon to define exactly what was happening between them, and to either admit what he felt for her or send her on her way. And the thing that was most disturbing was that this was out of character for her. Usually, she was on the other end of a needy person begging her to define the relationship.

"Sit down, Penny," Sheldon said after a moment's pause. He gestured with his hand to the space on the bed in front of him. She hesitated for a moment but then lowered herself on the bed and turned away, too embarrassed to look him in the eye. All was quiet for a few seconds before Sheldon cleared his throat and began. "I don't care if we have sex tonight, tomorrow, next week, month or year, or ever. I, as you may have noticed in the last 6 years of our acquaintance, am not a man driven by his baser urges. Now, I know that my behavior these last few days have suggested otherwise, with all the free-for-all making out and grab-assing I've allowed myself to engage in with you." Penny couldn't help but laughing at how southern and proper he sounded with his last sentence, but was quiet again after Sheldon gave her a stern look. She wiped a tear from her eye that she hadn't realized was there until she felt the dampness on her fingers, then nodded at him to continue. "Regardless of what happens tonight, you must know Penny, that what I feel for you is more than anything I've ever felt another human being. I feel anchored to you and as it scares me, it also fortifies me. I don't know if this emotional attachment to you has always been there as I have attempted not to view you as anything but a friend since the day Leonard claimed you for his own. But what I feel for you is real, almost as tangible as the bed we sit upon."

Penny willed herself to look up and meet Sheldon's gaze. "Sheldon…" she began, but was interrupted when Sheldon held up a hand.

"Your request for understanding is warranted, and I feel it is my responsibility to inform you that I am going to terminate my relationship with Amy just as soon as I can mail her the paperwork that would effectively end our contractual agreement. This is something I had been mulling over anyway, and I do not want you to feel responsible for something that does not concern you. As far as how you handle your relationship with Leonard, I would never tell you what to do. But Penny, how I feel for you isn't going to disappear when Junior leaves and Leonard returns from the North Sea. And it is with sincerity that I urge you to choose me." He paused, licking his lips. "But I do understand if the prospect of the upheaval of your social life is too big of a price to pay for someone like me."

"Someone like you," Penny echoed. "Sheldon, you are everything to me. It might have taken your brother coming to Pasadena and turn everything upside down for me to realize it, but you are more than worth it."

"Oh, I am?" Sheldon asked with a teasing smile. "Are you sure you aren't just swayed by my valiant display of male dominance at the gym earlier today?"

"That has something to do with it, yeah," Penny cracked, feeling a smile spread across her face. She raised herself from her sitting position on the bed and crawled on all fours to Sheldon, stopping just in front of his mouth. "Can you show me how you did that thing with Junior's arms again?" She leaned forward and nipped at Sheldon's lower lip, tugging on it with her teeth enough to make him hiss. And suddenly, she was on her back, her head pressed against the pillow and both of her arms were pinned against the headboard above her head. "That's now how you did it," she whispered, looking down at Sheldon as he lowered his head to her exposed stomach and kissed the soft skin above her navel.

"I'm the choreographer," he reminded her, kissing up her abdomen until he reached the fabric of her tank top that was bunched up underneath her breasts. "I am making adjustments as I see fit." Suddenly he was on top of her and looping his arm under her thigh, raising it so that it was hiked up on his hip, and then he lowered himself into her. She was delighted to feel that the whopping erection from earlier was back with a vengeance.

"Sheldon," she breathed as he ground into her with his hips, her center moistening with every subtle thrust. "Condom. Put it on." She waited while he continued to grind into her, her eyes blurring at the edges as his hold on her wrists above her head tightened. "Hurry. I need you inside of me."

"Okay," he grunted, releasing her wrists and slowly lifted himself off of her. He kneeled on the bed, motioning for her to grab the condom and hand it to him. When it was in his hands, he yanked open the package while Penny made herself useful and pulled down his pants and underwear. His hardness sprang out and greeted her, smooth and round at the head with a long and thick shaft that she had a difficult time believing she was seeing. She figured there was truth to the rumor about tall men, long fingers, such and such, but to see it on Sheldon was like discovering Santa Claus was real; it brought her great joy. She looked up to see Sheldon staring down at her with a coy smile. She had once heard the guys tell her that Sheldon described his genitals as aesthetically pleasing. She had rolled her eyes back then, but she was counting her blessings now to realize that he had been right all along, and by the look on Sheldon's face, she could tell that he was pleased she thought the same.

She took the condom from him carefully and applied it onto him, rolling the slick rubber out so that it enveloped him, and she pinched the tip to leave enough room for the end result. Then she reached for her tank top and pulled it off in one swift motion before lying back to wriggle the underwear off of her hips. Sheldon watched her undress and took the hint, removing his robe and shirt as well, then leaned to the side to kick off his PJ bottoms entirely. When they were both good and naked, Penny told him to climb on top of her. Holding the base of the condom to keep it secure, Sheldon made his way to Penny, hovering over her body and settled in between her legs. "Are you ready?" she asked him, running her fingers lazily up and down his arms that were pillared on either side of her head.

"Yes," he exhaled, nodding as he looked her in the eyes. "Are you?"

"Yes," she hissed, moving her hips up and felt the tip of his dick rub her opening. He inhaled sharply at the feel of her, then leaned down to kiss her. Taking the cue, Penny reached for him and guided him to her center, stroking his length in the process. Sheldon took a deep breath then pushed himself inside of her. Adjusting to his size quickly, Penny's mouth formed an 'O' of surprise, then pouted lustfully as Sheldon began to pull out and push into her wetness again, forming a rhythm. "Fuck, Sheldon, you feel so good."

Sheldon kept his eyes on her the whole time, biting his lower lip as he thrusted in and out some more, never slowing, never going faster. He was relishing the feeling, Penny realized, just as much as she was. She wanted to pull out her proverbial bag of tricks and take Sheldon on a trip around the world, but she quickly stopped herself from wrapping her legs around his hips and flipping him over to ride him like a cowgirl; it was his first time and she didn't want to scar him for life. So she settled for raising her hips in sync with each push of his hips, allowing the length of his dick to fill her further, almost splitting her in half, and at the same time providing a warmer, tighter sensation for Sheldon. His eyes went wide and his forehead was slick with a thin sheet of sweat.

"Penny, oh, God…"

Hearing him moan her name awoke a sleeping giant, and she reached up to pull Sheldon's head down, meeting his lips with an eager kiss. She gently sucked on his tongue on beat with their thrusts until a familiar tingle began to form deep within her wetness. _Hello G-spot, my old friend. _"Harder, Sheldon," she begged, staring at his swollen lips. She cried out as Sheldon pulled away from her and straightened his back so that he was looking down at her, and hoisted both of her thighs up high enough so that her ass lifted off the bed. He steadily continued to thrust into her, but at this new angle, watching the raw lust cross over Sheldon's features as he stared down at her body, Penny was about to fly over the edge. He positioned her so that one hand held onto her hip and the other reached out to knead one of her breasts, squeezing her hardened nipple. Obeying her pleas, he purposefully pounded into her at a quickened pace. "Sheldon! I'm going to come!" She warned him just time; at the sound of his body slamming into hers, she lost all control. Stars exploded behind her eyes, her loins were on fire, and she fell into a deep world of ecstasy, her orgasm pulling her under and threatened to keep her there for eternity.

Her cries were soon joined by Sheldon's as he experienced his own orgasm. "Penny!" he whined, using both of his hands to squeeze her breasts, then let his nimble fingers roam over her entire body as the bucking of his hips slowed down. When he finally finished, his forehead was lying between her breasts while one of his hands grasped her rear firmly and the other held onto the base of his condom as he reluctantly pulled out of her. Rolling over to his side, he lied next to Penny on the narrow bed while they both fought to catch their breath. After a comfortable silence that lasted minutes, Sheldon finally cleared his throat and spoke. "I hope you don't mind if I go wash up." He lifted his head and turned to face her, then motioned with his free hand at his other hand that still held the condom.

"Of course not, sweetie," she grinned. "Go ahead, I'll be right here when you get back." She watched him nod gratefully before sitting up and wobbling to his feet. The view of his firm, naked ass caused her to giggle like a school girl. Sheldon sure had a body on him underneath all those layers of geek shirts and khaki. He groped the floor for his robe, found it, and wrapped it hastily around his waist, still afraid to let go of the base of the condom, probably in fear of its contents leaking onto his floor. Then he slipped out of his bedroom and closed the door behind him. Penny sighed heavily and rolled onto her stomach, inhaling the smell of Sheldon in his sheets and allowed herself to get lost in thoughts that included her and Sheldon doing this on a regular basis.

A few minutes later, just as she was about to drift off into a cozy slumber, Sheldon returned. He smiled at her shyly, wearing the robe now around his body, and he began to pick up all the discarded clothes from the floor, folding them in half and placing them over the side of his hamper. "Are you feeling well, Penny?" he asked, his voice small, unsure.

She turned over on her back, exposing her naked body again to him and his eyes zeroed in on her as she teasingly squeezed one of her breasts between her hands, the other hand traveling down to stroke herself between her legs. "I feel amazing, Sheldon," she assured him. "Did you want me to go home so you can sleep?"

He watched her for a minute before removing his robe and setting it down with the rest of their clothes. His erection was rising by the second, pointing accusingly at Penny as he walked towards her. "If it were possible to hold you here forever, I would die a happy man." Soon, Penny and Sheldon were again a mess of entwined limbs and fevered kisses upon his bed, not to be bothered with lack of condoms or the race against the sun that would rise in just a few hours.

Sheldon never asked Penny to go back to her apartment that night, and Penny never offered again.

* * *

**A/N pt 2: I'm sorry, I just have a thing for Sheldon lying on the couch and saying, "Don't stop," circa season 5, episode 23 **_**The Launch Acceleration. **_**Y'all know what I'm talking about. ;) **


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Sorry for the wait! This second half of summer school is killing me. But I LOVE YOU ALL! Feedback, follows, & favorites, oh my! So you guys get an extra long chapter. :]**

**Anony & Dannon5: You both are completely right-it was too soon. This one amazing night together does not a happy ending make! Loose ends and new feelings? Sounds like a recipe for trouble, and this chapter will address that. ;] Hopefully in time all of my readers will see the method to my madness, but all I can say for now without spoiling too much is…drama, ahoy! Hold on tight, folks. :O **

**One more thing—I know I've said this before but I love, love, love your reactions to Junior. I adore writing him!**

**Okay, I'll shut up now—Enjoy chapter 11!**

* * *

_Ten years earlier. _

"Don't you wish you could ever just turn off your brain?"

A couple of 40-ounce bottles of beer nestled in a tattered brown paper bags were being passed around. An inebriated man around Sheldon's age climbed out of his lawn chair and took two shaky steps towards him, offering him the bottle. With a shake of his head, Sheldon declined, so the man shrugged and walked back to his flimsy chair with the beer. Sheldon's butt was cold as he sat on the metal of the tailgate, his khaki slacks not doing much to block out the chill of the late January night under the starry Texas sky. He struggled to maintain focus on the sparring match happening just left of the large bonfire in front of him. Two men, one as pale as the moon and of medium build against another man, a tan fellow with sandy brown hair that fell to his shoulders (the local favorite fighter), beat each other senseless as the crowd of about 20 people around them egged them on. The pale man had very little fighting IQ and Sheldon longed to leap from his seat and bark out orders (_get low! hammer fist!_) but he was only there to observe. The pale man's eyes were both swollen and one eyebrow was dripping blood, distorting his view. He was, as Junior liked to put it, "getting his ass handed to him".

But a conversation between two young women sitting on the very same tailgate as he proved distracting. One of the girls, a blonde with a severely angular nose and chin and large brown eyes drew a wine cooler to her lips, sipping it quickly. She regarded her friend next to her and repeated her question. "Didja hear me? Wish you could turn your brain off sometimes?"

Her friend, a brunette that was much rounder in the face and body, took a moment to answer. "What do you mean, like, do I wish I could die? Because if your brain turns off, that means you're dead, girl."

Sheldon rolled his eyes. Usually he was unhip to rhetorical queries, never humoring anyone long enough to satisfy them with an answer, but he found himself biting his tongue hard so that he couldn't answer the girl's question with a very loaded _yes. _

Sometimes, Sheldon Cooper wished he could turn off his brain.

"No, idiot," the girl with the pointy chin handed the wine cooler to her chubby friend. "I mean, sometimes I think too much. It like, hurts my head. I have so much shit to deal with that I just want to go into radio silence for a like 24 hours straight."

"Uh-huh." The chubby one sipped the wine, nodding her head.

"Randy won't take responsibility for baby Jake," the blonde continued to ramble. "The kid's got his fuckin' face, ears, everything. They're identical."

"What an asshole."

"And my boss is giving me shit for having to leave early to take care of my damn baby. I just wish I could get wasted and just forget the world for a whole day."

"Mmhmm."

Pushing off with both hands, he jumped off of the tailgate, causing the truck bed to bounce and a wine cooler held between the blonde girl's knees to fall and spill on her legs. He kept walking, ignoring her curses. He had had enough of her foul mouth banter and the mindless agreements from her friend. Sheldon had work to do.

He clasped his hands behind his back and paced around the fire, watching closely as the tanned fighter landed a right hook straight into the pale man's jaw. The fist connected to the mandible accompanied by a popping noise, not unlike the sound of the fire licking the wood beside them, and the crowd cheered as the pale man fell to the ground, barely defending himself in time for the other man to leap onto him, pounding his hammered fists into his nose. Reddish liquid sprayed against the dirt like paint and the pale man began to lose consciousness, blood bubbling and pouring out of his nose and mouth when the appointed 'ref' jumped in and kneeled next to the pair, pushing the tanned fighter off of the pale man and screamed, "That's the fight!"

Cheers erupted in the midst of disappointed groans and cat calls. Sheldon remained quiet while the friends of the pale man rushed to his aid and the friends of the tanned fighter hoisted up his arms in victory, patting his back as he pumped his fists into the night air. A girl with flowing dirty blonde hair that Sheldon recognized ran up to the tanned fighter and planted a quick peck on his cheek then handed him a beer. She whispered something into his ear that made him grin and give her a high five. Someone threw another log into the barrel of fire, and as the flames rose higher, the girl's eyes shifted and latched onto Sheldon's gaze. _Drat. _

Before he could look somewhere else, she made her way around the fire and headed straight for Sheldon. She wore a leather jacket that was zipped all the way up to her neck and a tight pair of jeans. Tight jeans seemed to be Rachel's signature article of clothing. She wore them the night he first saw her, the drunk girl behind the makeshift bar that introduced herself to Sheldon the night Marky beat Abel with a bat, and every single time he's seen her since.

_"I'm a bad girl. Wanna spank me?"_

"Sheldon Lee," Rachel said sternly, crossing her arms across her ample chest. She stared up into Sheldon's blue eyes, looking frustrated yet playful. Another signature Rachel look.

"Rachel," he nodded a reply, then looked over her shoulder at the tanned fighter who was now helping the pale fighter to his feet, patting his back good-naturedly.

"Whaddya doing here?" Her arms remained crossed as she demanded his attention, reaching out to snap her fingers near his face. He recoiled and unclasped his hands from behind his back to wave her away, stepping back and creating space between them. "Oh, quit that. I wasn't going to touch you."

Sheldon's temper stirred as he stared down at Rachel, a whole head shorter than him, with fierce eyes. "Stop talking to me like I'm a child."

"Stop acting like one. Sheldon, I already told you a million times. My brother is not going to fight Junior. I don't know why you keep sniffing around him. I've asked you to stop."

"That's not really up to you, now is it?" Sheldon asked in a sing-song voice then noticed the tanned fighter begin to walk over towards them. "Hello, Rick." Sheldon bowed his head slightly as Rachel's brother, the victor, joined them at their spot near the fire.

"Sheldon," Rick greeted him tersely, his eyes squinting between him and Rachel. "You alright, sis?"

Rachel finally tore her gaze away from the side of Sheldon's face and gave Rick a short nod. "Just saying hi to our friend Sheldon. Ready to go?" She uncrossed her arms and touched Rick's shoulder, attempting to push him away, but Sheldon would have none of it.

"Impressive striking, Rick," he said, his voice reaching a higher octave, causing Rachel to whirl around furiously and Rick to stop in his tracks. "In fact, I can say I've seen a slight improvement in your bout. It would help, though, if you weren't so sluggish."

"Goddamnit, Sheldon," Rachel said through gritted teeth.

"Big talk for some skinny little dipshit who'd rather watch on the sidelines than get in there and fight someone himself," Rick chuckled humorlessly. He squared his shoulders, his chest still bare and covered with dirt and sweat and specks of blood along his pectorals. Sheldon suppressed a shudder of disgust. This was the world he was used to observing and studying, but he couldn't for the life of him understand why the men could remain covered by soil and gore long after each fight. The thought alone made him wish for his third shower of the day.

"Rick, come on," Rachel pleaded, attempting again to push her brother away but could not move his immense body.

"Well," Sheldon said lazily, his voice dripping with nonchalance. "I suppose I do lack the bulk and dexterity to be a fighter, all of which was awarded to my brother Junior in abundance." He paused for effect then added, "But of course, you already know how great a fighter he is. You _have _repeatedly refused to fight him on numerous occasions, and I wouldn't blame you." He supplied Rick with a lazy grin, only half of his mouth turning up at the corner. "But if you ever decide you're up for a real challenge, you know where to find us."

Rachel was fuming, her face almost as red as embers in the fire behind her. "Rick, I said let's _go_."

"Tell your brother I'll kick his ass any day," Rick growled, closing the space between him and Sheldon by taking a menacing step towards him. Sheldon tensed, only slightly. This was the part of his job he hated the most-the imminent threat of violence against him. He knew enough defensive moves and certainly how to inflict pain on another individual, but the difficult part was the possibility of being caught off-guard. "I'm tired of seeing your face around here. Tell him if he doesn't want to fight me, I'm going to kick your ass instead."

"Won't be necessary," a voice suddenly said from behind them all. Marky appeared to Sheldon's left from seemingly nowhere, holding a beer close to his chest. "I'll deliver the message myself."

Rick visibly stood down, his back slouching slightly now that Sheldon clearly had back-up. "Good. Let me know when and where."

"Glad to finally have you on board, Rick," Marky said after he took a swig from his beer. "Lot of money riding on a matchup between you and George Jr. Don't back out now."

"I won't." Rick spat at the ground near Sheldon's feet, which caused the physicist to yelp and hop out of the way. _Revolting. _Rick pivoted away and walked back to his group of friends who were watching the exchange from afar.

"Sheldon!" Rachel faced him, the anger long gone from her face and replaced by naked fear. "I know what kind of funny business you and this son of a bitch are up to," she accused, pointing a shaking finger at Marky. "How could you put my brother in danger like this? I thought you were my friend!"

"Business is business, sweetheart," Marky answered in a small, playful voice.

"Fuck you, Marky!" Rachel suddenly screamed, kicking the dirt beneath her so that it pushed dust and earth onto Marky's feet. "You fucking creep. Don't you ever talk to me. I know what kind of shady shit you're into."

"Rachel, please," Sheldon said with a roll of his eyes. "You're making a scene."

"Fuck you too, Sheldon," Rachel told him with the same vehemence as she showed Marky, causing him to shrink back in dismay. "I thought you were different. A bright guy with a bright future doesn't belong with creeps like this." She motioned with her hand to Marky who had begun to laugh at the spectacle. "If something happens to my brother, it's on _you_, Sheldon. If you do this, I will never speak to you again." She stood in front of Sheldon, waiting for him to say something back, her eyes round and pleading almost as if she wished he would stop her from turning her back on him.

The last seven years of their friendship flashed in Sheldon's mind. After that night in the barn, Sheldon had begun to see Rachel more frequently at all the events. She pursued him at first, and eventually she got him to talk back to her and they developed a friendship. She found his quirkiness endearing, his sullenness a challenge to bring him out of his shell, and she made it her number one priority to pull Sheldon out of his brother and Marky's grasp, but to no avail. Sheldon kept her at bay, even when he had begun to feel the small pangs of unfamiliar and impractical feelings for her, for her own safety. When her brother Rick began fighting in the same class as Junior, he showed enough promise to garner Marky's attention, thus putting into motion a high-priced fight in anticipation of Junior and Rick going head-to-head. Rachel knew Sheldon scouted fights for his brother and Marky's benefit, and she desperately tried to stop him from coming to watch her brother so that he could sniff out his weaknesses, but again, she could not succeed.

Not even Rachel could sever the ties Sheldon had to Marky and Junior.

"I'm sorry you feel that way," Sheldon said in a voice so cold and distant he could hardly believe it was himself speaking. "But I respect your decision. Will that be all?" He attempted to dismiss her with his eyes, raising his eyebrows high.

Without another word, Rachel spun on her heel and stalked across the field, passing the fire and over to her brother. Sheldon watched her go, then felt his inner self poking at the shell, begging to be let out. Just when he felt his mouth form the shape to call her name, Marky playfully punched his shoulder to get his attention. He turned and focused his hatred on Marky, a look that the red-headed man had long become accustomed to and learned to ignore.

"Nice job, Shelly." He nodded in the direction away from the bonfire and crowd, signaling for Sheldon to follow him. "I knew we'd get that shit head sooner or later."

Sheldon nodded and finally forced himself to turn away from the fire, the crowd, from Rachel, then followed Marky into the dark, where he belonged. "His right hook is quick but he doesn't protect himself. If Junior implements the combo for inside kicks after ducking a strike, he could break Rick's ribs within the first round."

* * *

_Present day._

The hot skin at the bottom of her bare feet left condensation foot prints on the wooden tile as she padded down the hall. She wore a goofy grin and her pink robe over her naked body, the tank top and underwear she wore last night currently missing in action. Her blonde waves were wrapped up in a messy bun that she secured with a number two pencil she found on top of Sheldon's dresser. She had to sit carefully, almost hovering over the toilet when she relieved herself this morning; it had been an eventful night. But not even the mild stinging from having stretched herself six ways 'til Sunday could damper Penny's light mood.

Sheldon was a thorough lover, though inexperienced, yet made up for it by being willing and eager within minutes of each bout of sexual activity to continue. Penny hadn't taken a partner so energetic since she first started having sex at 18. They stopped just as the first rays of sunlight cascaded onto their naked bodies from behind his drapes.

She paused at the mouth of the hallway, teetering on the step as she took in the quiet living room. Leonard had lived here for years with his loony roommate, but the entire apartment breathed _Sheldon_, from the permanent indent on the cushion in his spot, to the white board with his scribble, to the lone yellow coffee mug on the kitchen table. She smiled and made her way to the table, snatching up the mug full of old milk to dump into the sink, then turned to check the time on the microwave. It was only a quarter until 9:00 A.M. She set down the mug carefully in the sink and turned again to the table, a few crumpled scraps of white paper grabbing her attention.

Penny's only intention was to float out of the apartment on her cloud of serenity and take a shower in her own bathroom then be back in Sheldon's arms before he woke up. But seeing discarded trash on top of Sheldon's table rather than in the trashcan can gave her pause. She picked up the first page and her eyes were immediately drawn to the footer of the document.

TERMINATION OF RELATIONSHIP AGREEMENT _SLC _AFF

The two spots next to the 'SLC' and 'AFF' were for initials, Penny guessed, and both were blank. She picked up the next two papers with paragraphs of intent, also crumpled and un-initialed by both parties. The last page provided two full lines for both Amy and Sheldon to sign. Sheldon's scribble was not on any of the papers, and Penny felt her mood come crashing down to the world like a plane with a faulty engine and then she surfaced, reality welcoming her back into its ice cold embrace.

The front door opened then, causing her eyes to widen in surprise and she grabbed the papers and hid them behind her back on impulse. She relaxed only slightly when she saw it was Junior coming in from what looked like a vigorous morning run.

"Mornin' hot stuff," he greeted her with a friendly smile. "You didn't kill my brother last night, did you?"

* * *

The mattress shifted and a weight disappeared, allowing Sheldon to flatten his body and relish the feel of the entire bed to himself. He heard the soft _click_ of the door and his eyes flew open in alarm. He was alone as every memory of where his hands and genitals had been in the last six and a half hours came rushing back to him like bulls on parade. His mouth was dry and tongue thick, his eyes burning with lack of sleep, his inner thighs still slick as they clenched together, and that's when he realized he was naked and uncovered.

"Good Lord," he mumbled, shivering as he swiped at the floor for his dark blue sheets and yanked them on top of himself. Still alone, he sat up against the headboard, attempting to get his bearings. He felt as crummy as if he were hung over (only having less than a handful of experiences in such situations), but as his brain focused and the vivid memories of touching Penny's soft body, erupting inside of her, the feel of her sweet, breathy sighs on his neck pecked at his brain, he knew he hadn't had a sip of alcohol. His fingers clenched the sheets up to his stubbly chin, scratching his knuckles with his 5 o'clock shadow. He needed a shower, a shave, and a gargle of mouthwash.

But first, he needed to pick up around his room. The only point of order he could initiate, since he knew there was absolutely no hope in making sense of the whirlwind of thoughts forming in his brain at Mach speed. He flopped out of the bed, quickly gathering his fitted sheets that were tangled with his comforter and folding each article of fabric carefully. Although they needed to be laundered, he placed them in a neat, folded pile at the foot of his bed for now. Next, he wrapped his robe around himself and got to work adjusting the night stand near his headboard, carefully situating the Kleenex box and his wallet back in place, sitting his lamp upright again, and grabbed the discarded condom wrapper, studying it in his hand.

Had he not learned anything in his entire life? That perhaps engaging in a few hours of sexual release was not worth the emotional turmoil he would now have to endure? Sheldon Cooper was not known for being an empathetic man. But even he was aware of the disruption and inevitable pain he was going to inflict on his circle of friends. On Amy. He carefully tossed the empty wrapper into his trash basket.

For the last four days, Sheldon had been so worried that Junior would be the demise of his comfortable life. It took the harsh morning light for Sheldon to realize that maybe he was his own worst enemy. He may have physically left Texas behind, but deep down inside, Sheldon was still that cold, calculating presence around a bonfire, watching other fighters for weaknesses that his brother could sink his teeth into, no regard for anything or anyone but himself.

As he contemplated who he really was, he began to wonder where Penny had gone, momentarily drawing him out of his self-pity and agony. He felt the slickness between his legs begin to stick to his skin and this sensation coupled with getting a whiff of her natural perfume as he fingered the tank top she had left behind ceased the regeneration of his protective shell.

_"But Penny, how I feel for you isn't going to disappear when Junior leaves and Leonard returns from the North Sea."_

His heart kick-started, causing a rapid increase of thumps against his ribs. Why had she left him this morning? Out of anger, displeasure? Did he do something wrong? The thought that maybe he had disappointed her in bed soured his mood even further. Sheldon had a working knowledge of everything within the realms of this universe; he was after all, a man of physics. But it was not lost on him nor Penny that last night, being that it was his first time, he initially had no clue what he was doing. But she had been kind, patient, and very vocal. When Sheldon finally got the hang of exactly how to move his body with hers, she made it known, her voice carrying to the rafters. The memory enabled his libido to reform, the evidence nudging against his thigh.

"Get ahold of yourself, man!" he warned out loud, tightening the robe around himself. He waited a moment before leaving his room and wondered into the kitchen. He stopped short when he saw her there, but she was not alone.

"Good morning, you devil, you."

Sheldon's eyes rolled up, suddenly very aware of the breeze on his bare legs in the presence of his older brother and Penny. "Junior. I assume you've completed your morning run?" His eyes lowered and flitted to Penny, who was standing between the table and the microwave in her own pink robe. Her hair was swept up into an appealing styled-bun, and he noticed with a start that she had stuck one of his pencils between her locks. A flutter appeared in his abdomen. He wondered why she had not yet acknowledged his presence.

"Just got back, actually," Junior replied while he walked to the fridge for bottled water. He had a foolish grin plastered on his face as he paraded around in his long, polyester Nike running shorts and shirtless, as always.

"Must you insist on displaying so much skin on a daily basis, Junior?" Sheldon asked tiredly. He remained rooted to his spot near the step in the living room, his eyes on Penny who still had not made eye contact with him.

"Me?" Junior asked after a long swig of water. He pressed his hand against his bare chest, filmy with his sweat. "Nice knees." He lowered his gaze at Sheldon's lack of pants, causing the younger brother to squirm.

"Go get some clothes on for crying out loud!" Sheldon insisted, motioning with his eyes towards Penny and hoping his brother would get the hint.

"So sorry," Junior said, rolling his eyes in perfect imitation of his brother. "I'll go cover up. You two keep it down in here." He winked suggestively, causing Sheldon to scowl at him until he and Penny were alone again, Junior whistling a merry tune as he made his way to Leonard's room to retrieve a shirt.

"Penny-"

"I should go call Kurt and find out when he'll be at the gym today," she said so suddenly that it startled Sheldon.

"Wait, Penny." He took a deep breath and finally his made towards her, keeping his eyes on her profile the entire time. "What's wrong? Why won't you look at me?"

"Don't," she warned, flinching as Sheldon rounded the table and extended his arm to touch her. He recoiled, heeding her warning. "I've got to go, Sheldon."

"Did I do something…?" Sheldon racked his brain. Did he touch her incorrectly? Did her feelings for him change overnight? A fleeting thought that brought him sudden shame crossed his mind, remembering how quickly Penny used to go through men, and perhaps maybe he was just another one to bite the dust, so to speak. He suddenly became frustrated. "Look at me now." The tremor in his voice incised Penny's cold demeanor, causing her to thaw slightly and finally look in his eyes. "What happened?"

Instead of speaking, Penny lifted her hands that were hidden behind her back and supplied Sheldon with crumpled scraps of paper, the same papers he had been scrutinizing last night before Junior interrupted him and Penny entered the apartment. His heart plummeted into his stomach. "I believe you meant to throw these in the trash," she said bitterly, pushing the paper across the tabletop towards him. Before he could say anything, she continued on her rant. "What the hell is this, Sheldon? What, you think you can just have us _both_?" Junior suddenly reappeared in the kitchen with a black T-shirt to match his shorts, clapping his hands together and making a racket.

"Big day today! You guys ready for it?" When neither of them answered, Junior faltered, his arms lowering to his sides. He took in the icy silence and Sheldon turned to face him, their identical blue eyes meeting.

"I've got to go home and shower," Penny said suddenly, nearly knocking over the chair by her legs as she walked around the table.

"Penny, wait-" Sheldon began to follow her but stopped in his tracks when she whirled around and halted him with a piercing stare.

"Don't follow me," she warned again, then pivoted and exited the apartment, slamming the door shut behind her. Another slam followed a moment later, signaling she had made it into her own apartment where she was no doubt cursing Sheldon to high hell.

Junior let out a low whistle and shook his head before addressing his little brother. "I was gone for five seconds! What did you do?"

"Not important," Sheldon snapped. He turned around and walked back to the table, grabbing all of the crumpled papers that Penny had shoved at him. It was his unsigned Termination of the Relationship Agreement. Her outburst became clear to him; obviously she thought he had decided not to go through with sending the paperwork to Amy, but he still felt a nagging sense of betrayal, longing, and fury. Sheldon confided in Penny last night, told her that he was going to terminate his relationship as soon as he could. How could she be angry with him when he was with her in bed for hours into the dawn instead of signing these papers? How could she just walk out on him like that? Penny had made him angry before, but never like this. This was an anger he could feel in his bones. "Bat-crap crazy," he said aloud to no one in particular, walking to his desk to shove the tattered papers into his cabinet.

"You may be right, Shelly. But what you probably don't realize is that we Cooper boys," he paused when Sheldon's eyes darted to his. "Well, we make 'em that way."

* * *

Penny was the queen of making scenes. But after stomping around in her apartment for a few minutes, she realized that it still hadn't felt right doing it to Sheldon. He had told her last night that he was going to end his relationship with Amy, but had also promised he wouldn't pressure her to end things so soon with Leonard. Who was Penny to demand something so big from Sheldon? These next few steps into the future would take time and care, and she couldn't blame Sheldon for going back and forth on leaving Amy. Maybe he meant to throw the paperwork away, maybe he didn't. Either way, Penny promised to be there for Sheldon, and she would keep her promise. She realized she was allowing her female hormones, phasers now set to 'raging', overcome her judgment after a night of sex with Sheldon. Then she groaned, realizing she took Sheldon's virginity and then blew him off hours later.

What kind of person was she becoming?

So after a shower and a couple of hours to herself, she decided she would go back to his apartment cool, calm and collected, and then apologize. But first, she needed to set up her play date with Kurt. She grabbed her phone from its charger on her nightstand and quickly scrolled past the texts from Amy. She needed to stay focused on the task at hand.

_Kurt, baby. Is it still cool if I see U at your gym today? _

She set her phone down and removed her robe then walked into her bathroom to start the shower. As the water cascaded onto the ceramic tub, she walked over to the mirror above her sink and studied her naked torso. Two quarter-sized hickies donned the top of her right breast and she stifled a giggle. Sheldon had been hesitant to put his mouth anywhere but on hers, but when she encouraged him to lick her chest, he could not stop himself. When steam began to roll out from behind her shower curtains, she stepped into the tub, regretfully allowing the water and soap to wash away the scent of her lover.

When she was done, she dried herself off and hustled back to her cell phone to look for a reply from Kurt.

- _Yeah, I'll be there in an hour. The Golden Glove - 4599 E. Commerce St. Sorry about leaving you the other night. I suddenly had a bad stomach ache. Will make it up to you tonight if you want ;) _

Penny smiled wickedly at her phone, thumbing a quick reply.

_Can't wait. XOXO _

"Yeah, stomach ache onset by chlamydia, hopefully," she muttered aloud, setting her phone down so she could finish getting dressed. She blow-dried her hair straight and pulled on a pair of skinny jeans with a University of Nebraska T-shirt, gray with the big red 'N' logo across the chest. Locking the door behind her, Penny walked across the hall and stopped in front of apartment 4A. She took a deep breath then knocked twice before opening the door and pushing forward, peeking her head in. "Hello?" she called softly, taking a step inside. The apartment was silent as she closed the door behind her, only the hum of the central air conditioning to accompany the sounds of her tennis shoes on the wooden tile.

She looked reflexively at the table, noticing that it was clear of any paperwork that she saw earlier. Another pang of guilt racked her body, coupled with fear. Did Sheldon and Junior leave without her? "Sheldon?" she called out, placing her purse on the coffee table. "Junior?" she tried next after she was met with silence. She walked down the hallway and headed to Sheldon's room. The door was closed and she let herself in, again meeting darkness and silence. She placed her hands on her hips, alarm and frustration building inside of her. Just as she was about to pull out her phone and call Sheldon to give him a piece of her mind, she realized that the room, although empty, was different. It took her a moment to realize that the mattress was completely stripped of its sheets. Turning around, she walked to Sheldon's hamper, peering inside to look for her underwear from last night. It was also empty. As where Sheldon could be dawned on her, she slipped her phone back into her pocket and looked around the room, suddenly missing Sheldon with every bone in her body. She closed the door behind her and just as she was rounding the corner to come down the hall, she heard the front door open and watched as Sheldon pushed his way in, carrying his laundry basket that held his folded sheets and comforter.

"Oh," he said lightly as he locked eyes with Penny. "Hello." He was wearing gray slacks, his black melting Rubik's cube T-shirt, and a navy blue long-sleeved thermal shirt beneath it.

"Hi, Sheldon," she said, suddenly shy. He was the only man that could do that to her, make her eyes study the floor as her face grew bright red. He intimidated her a little bit, but would never admit it aloud. "Sorry, I just went to your room to look for you."

"Ah," he said without interest, not moving from his spot near the front door. "Well, I was forced to take my bedding down to the laundry room, on a Tuesday, no less." He was fussy, Penny could tell, and she decided to tread lightly. She came down the hall and met him in the living room, blocking his path as he tried to walk to his room with his basket.

"Sheldon, about this morning…"

"I don't want to talk about it, Penny." He stared down at her with tight eyes, his face betraying no emotion.

"Sheldon," Penny said in a tired tone. "I need to apologize for my behavior, so let me."

"While I agree that your behavior this morning was unwarranted and most unappreciated, I do not require you to explain yourself." He moved around Penny and headed down the hall to his bedroom.

"Hey!" she called, following closely on his heels. "Don't do that, Sheldon!"

"Do what?" His back was turned to her as he set his laundry basket down on his bedroom floor and took the sheets, flattening them on his bed.

"You're pushing me away again," Penny said as she placed her hand on his arm and whirled him around to face her. "Look, I wanted to say that I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gone through your personal paperwork, and I shouldn't have just left you this morning without talking about what we did last night…"

"And I told you I don't want to discuss it," Sheldon said coldly, shaking his arm from her grasp. He stared down at her as she wilted from his cold gaze. "Anything else, Penny?" He was clearly dismissing her, and she was at a loss.

"Sheldon," she pleaded, feeling panic begin to rise in her again. "Look, we both knew this wouldn't be easy." She motioned to the bed with her arm. "But I meant what I said yesterday. This isn't a one-time thing for me. You're way too important to me. Please don't push me away."

"Penny," Sheldon began, his voice exasperated as he looked at the ceiling. "I haven't signed my relationship termination papers in the last two hours, if that's what you want. Lord knows that's what's most important to you at the moment."

"Is not," Penny bristled, then relaxed. Sheldon's behavior was suddenly very familiar, very _human_. He was hurt. She watched in silence as he turned back to his bed, fastening the fitted sheet over his mattress before bringing down the next sheet and tucking it in. "What are you feeling right now, Sheldon Cooper?" His back straightened out as he stopped what he was doing, then slowly turned to face her.

"Pardon me?"

"Are you feeling betrayed? Hurt? Used, maybe?" Penny took a tentative step towards him, keeping her eyes on his. "Do you feel as though I've let you down?"

"It doesn't matter how I _feel_," Sheldon said quietly, emphasizing 'feel' as though the word disgusted him. "What matters is things have not changed. I am still with Amy. And you obviously cannot deal with this situation like an adult."

"I told you, I'm sorry," Penny insisted, crossing her arms over chest as tears threatened to fall. "I just…Sheldon, sit down. I need to explain something to you." He looked as though he was going to protest, so she grabbed both of his arms and forced him to sit, joining him on the edge of the bed. "My emotions got the best of me this morning, just like yours are threatening to do now." He opened his mouth to disagree, but she placed her index finger on his chin, careful to avoid his mouth. "It's okay to feel how you do right now. It's okay to be hurt by my behavior, because my actions this morning were hurtful. I never meant to leave you in such a vulnerable position, but Sheldon, I care about you deeply. And having sex with you last night just amplified those feelings tenfold. So when I saw that you intended to throw away the termination papers, I guess I felt as though you weren't serious about me." She waited for a moment as Sheldon finally softened and seemed to process her explanation. He stopped resisting her touch, allowing her hands to rest on his that were placed in his lap.

"I have a confession to make," Sheldon said, just above a whisper. He licked his pouty lower lip quickly, studying Penny's hands with interest. She watched him carefully as he sighed. "I experienced a vast and overwhelming rush of emotions this morning when you left." He sighed again, the confession taking more out of him than he was willing to give. "I think I can concur with your theory that feelings intensify after coitus."

"They really do, sweetie." Penny rubbed small circles with her thumbs on Sheldon's knuckles, hoping that he was coming around. She didn't know what she would do if he sent her away. Though she deserved it, she couldn't bear to think of leaving his side.

"Did we make a mistake, Penny?" He suddenly peered up at her with his deep blue eyes, so wide she could almost see herself in them.

"I don't think so, Sheldon." She leaned forward and rested her forehead on his. "I will never hurt you again." Nudging his nose with hers, she brushed her lips against his, keeping contact until she felt him push back with his own mouth, welcoming her kiss. They broke apart before it became too intense, Penny leaving her forehead against his. "I told you I wouldn't leave you, and I meant it. I will never push you when it comes to Amy. I know you have more important matters to tend to right now." They waited in comfortable silence for a few minutes, wrapped up in each other's presence. Penny felt herself relax, knowing that they would be alright. "Speaking of important matters, where is Junior?"

"He went back to the gym to work out. Should be back any moment."

"Kurt told me he would be at his gym in an hour. When Junior gets back, we should go." Penny leaned back to view Sheldon's face, taking in his freshly shaved chin and cheeks. She inhaled, smelling his soap and shampoo, and felt a familiar stirring in her lower abdomen as she suddenly became aware of the mattress beneath them and the fact that they were currently alone in the apartment. She swallowed hard and refocused on Sheldon's eyes, which were watching her carefully.

"Are you becoming aroused right now, Penny?"

She burst out laughing, tightening her grip on Sheldon's hands. "What would give you that idea?"

"Quickening breath." Sheldon removed one of his hands from hers and ran a finger along the side of her neck. She inhaled sharply, not moving a muscle as he continued. "Dilated pupils." He brushed her bangs out of her face. "Hardened nipples." His other hand snuck up and lightly rubbed the sensitive nub through Penny's T-shirt. She moaned and then pouted, for just as quickly as his hands were on her, they were gone.

"Junior's here," he whispered regretfully and sure enough a split second later, the front door slammed.

"Damn your Vulcan hearing," Penny lamented just as she heard Junior call out Sheldon's name. "Are you ready to go?"

"I am," Sheldon replied, nodding slowly. "To be continued?"

"To be continued." She stood up reluctantly, her knees slightly shaking, and she extended her hand to Sheldon, helping him to his feet as well.

* * *

As Junior, Penny and Sheldon pulled into the parking lot of The Golden Glove, his breathing began to quicken. Marky could be just inside the doors, and much as Sheldon felt himself revel in the possibility that revenge was not far away, he truly felt the tightness in his chest associated with fear. Fear for Penny, fear for his past rushing at him without any way of stopping it. He turned in his seat to face Junior who was sitting in the back, his fists clenched so tight that Sheldon could see the whites of his knuckles. So he wasn't the only one nearly foaming with anticipation of meeting Marky face-to-face again. Penny circled the lot until she found a spot as far as possible from the entrance of the gym. She parked and sighed, turning in her seat to face Sheldon. "So, I'm going to go inside and watch Kurt for a bit. I'll keep my eye out for Marky…I mean Rob. And if I find him, I'll discreetly pull my cell phone out and take a picture. Then I'll send it to you, Sheldon."

"Precisely," he said quickly. "But more importantly, if you in anyway feel that you're in danger, you call us, immediately." He narrowed his eyes at Penny before continuing. "No funny business, no acting like a tough Nebraskan with nothing to lose. You will call us."

"Yes, Sheldon," Penny smiled. Her lips pursed together when Sheldon gave her a warning glance. "I promise. No funny business."

"And you're not recording anybody fighting today. We just want to know if this trainer of Kurt's is actually Marky." Sheldon turned and waited for Junior to chime in. When his brother remained silent, Sheldon studied his face. "Junior?" The older man began to shake, visibly trembling and his neck reddened ominously. "Junior," Sheldon repeated, a little more sternly.

"Yeah," Junior acknowledged him finally, meeting his eyes. "I really wanna go in there myself."

"No," Sheldon said assertively. "I will not have you risk Penny's safety. You must give me your word now that you will remain in the car with me, if not we'll leave right now." He waited a beat, giving Junior time to process the information.

"Alright," he finally relented, relaxing his fingers from their fists. "Alright, I'm cool."

"Okay." Sheldon took a deep breath and refocused on Penny. "Are you sure you're up for this?"

"I am." She smiled weakly, causing Sheldon to doubt her. "I promise," she assured him, rubbing his hands with hers. "Wish me luck."

Sheldon nodded tightly as she unbuckled her seat belt and opened her door, climbing out of the car and slamming the door shut behind her in one swift movement. She took two steps ahead, looking both ways before crossing the parking lot and finally disappearing inside of the gym. He immediately felt her absence but swallowed it down quickly before it overcame him and caused him to scramble out of the car after her.

"And now we play the waiting game," Junior said meekly from the backseat, struggling to control the pitch of his voice.

Sheldon grasped his cell phone in his hands, watching it like a hawk and pressing the button on the side every few moments to make sure he had enough reception bars. After what seemed like hours but was really only fifteen minutes, Penny's name appeared on Sheldon's screen, signaling a text had been received. Taking a deep breath, Sheldon opened it and studied the picture.

"Is it him?" Junior leaned forward in his seat, his tone dripping with anticipation.

Sheldon gave the phone to his brother and studied the entrance doors of the gym, wishing on everything holy and not that he had walked into that gym with Penny instead of letting her go in on her own. "It's him."


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: D'awww. You guys and your reviews. You make my heart swell with joy! And if you've made it this far into my story, you might have realized by now that this is a Shenny-centric fic. If you're not happy about the extremes that these two main characters WILL continue to explore as they deal with an outrageous and non-canon situation (let's face it - the story writers for TBBT are not ever going to incorporate Sheldon's shady, street-fighting past into the show—that's just from my sick & twisted mind, lol), then maybe you should give up on this story because it might not be what you're into. :( I'd hate to see you go, though, so try to sit back and enjoy it. It's **_**fan fiction**_**, after all!**

**SRAM: Although I'm extremely pleased that my characters get your emotions so riled up, you sort of lost me when you got mad about Penny using Kurt :\ LOL. Hope you continue to enjoy my story anyhow. **

**To J: I wish I could message you after every amazing review that you have always left me since Chapter 1. XOXO! Thank you for not giving up on this story or me! **

**To all of my wonderful (old and new) reviewers, followers, and people who have favorited **_**Dissolve—**_**enjoy chapter 12! *Warning: This chapter contains some violence***

* * *

Penny dug her nails into her palms with a little more force than she had realized, because when she finally relaxed her fingers, tiny crescent-shaped red marks were stinging the sensitive skin of her hands. When she entered the gym full of at least 50 different people training in various areas and let her eyes adjust to the lack of bright sunlight, the first person her eyes zoned in on and recognized was Rob. About 20-feet in front of her, right in the center of a boxing ring, he was chatting with three men, one of them was Kurt, and he was using his hands animatedly, his inflection rising with each "fuckin'" and "shit" he used in his sentences. Penny hadn't paid much attention before, but now she noticed his thick, Southern accent was falling out of his mouth like he was chewing on something juicy. This had to be the guy; it had to be Marky.

His red hair was shorter now, a clean buzz cut shaved closed to his head, and the apparent receding hairline had to be the cause. He was still tall, but not as lofty as Kurt, and stocky. A man no one would want to trifle with if it came down to a bar fight, Penny guessed. And Rob's most telling feature: the rash of old acne scars adorning his cheeks. He looked winded as he spoke still, the two men and Kurt surrounding him listening intently and occasionally nodding their heads in reply.

"Excuse me," a young man dodged around Penny, trying to get through the exits that she was blocking.

"Sorry," she mumbled, finally getting her legs to work and moved out of his way. She was afraid she was drawing attention to herself, the wrong kind of attention, by standing timidly in the doorway of The Golden Glove. When the door slammed shut behind her, she jumped. She felt her back pocket for her cell phone to make sure it was still there, took a deep breath, and summoned the acting ability she had to drink in her surroundings and assimilate to the atmosphere. She visibly relaxed, and walked towards the boxing ring. When she reached the ropes, Kurt's back to her, she cleared her throat and called out to him. "Hey, hot stuff." Rob immediately stopped talking and peered over Kurt's shoulder down towards Penny. His face twisted into a bewildered expression, and he looked at Kurt expectantly. Penny felt her stinging palms begin to dampen.

"Huh?" Kurt turned and looked over his shoulder, following Rob's gaze until it fell on Penny. "Oh, hey!" He was dressed in black trunks and a white-ribbed tank top. He leaned over, placing his elbows on the ropes and stared down at Penny with a smug grin, adjusting the fingerless gloves on his hands. "I didn't think you'd show up."

"I always come when I say I will," Penny said, impressed by her own ability to flirt shamelessly with the dirt bag. "You're looking good."

"As are you." He raised an eyebrow and looked her over appreciatively. Then turning around, he told the three men behind him he'd be right back. As he climbed out of the ring, Penny felt rather than saw Rob's eyes on her the entire time. She willed her heart to quit beating so roughly against her ribcage, almost sure that everyone around her could hear it galloping inside of her chest. She tried to convince herself that she was just nervous under the circumstances and there was absolutely no way Rob, Marky, whatever his name was, could actually know the real reason why she was there.

When Kurt joined her on the ground, he embraced her in a tight, ill-fitting hug, reaching down to nonchalantly rest his open palm on her ass. She ignored it and looked up at him. "Did I miss your workout already?"

"Just stopped to take a break," he replied. "My trainer Rob was just telling us about some fights he got this weekend. Pretty underground stuff, roughnecks basically going ape shit on each other. Real Fight Club-ish."

"Oh, yeah?" Penny's tongue was suddenly fat and she bit it, hard. She winced and looked away, willing herself to relax. If Kurt noticed her reaction, he didn't make it known. "Are you into that kind of stuff?"

"Me? Nah." He nuzzled his face into Penny's neck and gave her a playful nip that made her flush, but not with shyness. It took all the willpower she could manage not to slightly raise her knee and slam it into Kurt's unprotected crotch. Clearly, he had one thing on his mind now since Penny had shown up at the gym to see him. But she wasn't anywhere near on the same page.

"Really? Why not?" She avoided Kurt's eyes, staring up and at his eyebrows instead.

"This face is too pretty to get all beat up, baby, you know that. I mean, look at Rob's."

"What's wrong with my face?"

Penny immediately froze, a statue in Kurt's arms, and lowered her gaze to his chest. She felt his hands release her as he turned around and faced his trainer. Reluctantly, she followed suit and finally met Rob's eyes as Kurt laughed and addressed him. "Where do I start?"

"Fuck you, man. Your mom doesn't seem to mind it one bit." Rob was obviously speaking to Kurt, but his eyes were trained on Penny's face the entire time. She gazed uneasily at him, hoping that the slight tremor in her hands would go unnoticed. He wore red trunks and a black T-shirt with the white and red letters sprawled across his chest and read _AFFLICTION_. "Who is this?" His eyes were a dark shade of brown, almost black, and they feasted hungrily on Penny's body. She suddenly wanted a bath. Even if Sheldon and Junior hadn't told her about what the man in front of her was capable of, just his wolfish features and intense demeanor were enough to set her skin crawling.

"This is my girl Penny," Kurt said proudly.

_That's pretty hopeful, _Penny thought, fighting the urge to roll her eyes. She smiled, showing her teeth to Rob. He immediately returned the grin and held out his hand, which she took without pause. The moist, clammy feel of his fingers against her own sweaty hand felt uncomfortable and slick.

"I've met you before," Rob mused, his Southern pronunciation suddenly reminding her of Junior. He cocked his head to the side, which made his already swollen ears more prominent and stick out further. The ears were plump and lost definition of shape around the edges, just like one of Junior's ears.

"Yeah, ages ago when Penny still hadn't given it up yet, so I had brought her here to impress her," Kurt cracked with a tasteless guffaw. "A long, _long_ time ago." He grinned down at her and she made no effort this time to hide her disgust.

"Why are you still hangin' around this loser when there are plenty of other eligible bachelors in this gym?" Rob gestured with his long arm, thick and muscular and sprawling with long veins. "You into fighters?"

Before Penny could answer, Kurt tightened his hold on her, and she noticed his easy-going grin start to falter. "Easy, bro."

Rob lifted both of his hands as if in surrender. She watched in awe as every diction, every movement that Rob performed reminded her more and more of Junior. It was unnerving. "Just being friendly. _Bro_." His smile was _un_friendly before he turned to face Penny. "So, Penny, was it? You come to watch your boyfriend Kurt _try _and go a couple rounds today?"

It took her a few seconds but she realized that he and Kurt were now waiting for her to answer. "Oh, um. Yeah, I just came to watch."

"Who am I fighting?" Kurt asked, his voice not truly interested as he scanned the small crowd that had begun to form around the ring.

"How about me?," Rob suggested, grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"What?" Kurt's hold on Penny loosened immediately. "I thought you weren't staying?" The disbelief in his voice wasn't lost on Penny.

"Your friend came to watch you fight, today, Kurt. What's wrong? Scared of your old trainer?"

The muscles in Kurt's clenched jaw rippled as he quickly mulled it over. "Cool. Let's do it."

"Have a seat then, darlin'," Rob said to Penny as he motioned towards a group of metal folding chairs that were set up ringside.

"Thanks," Penny answered quietly. She looked at Kurt, who was watching her with a slightly annoyed grimace and she gave him a reassuring wink. "Go get 'em, baby." Then with two metaphorical hands, Penny literally had to push herself from the inside to take two small steps to Kurt and press her lips against his cheek. She meant to leave a chaste peck but the bigger man placed a possessive hand around her neck, pulling her to him as he laid a big kiss on her lips, wet and intrusive. He winked down at her and turned to meet Rob who was already climbing into the ring. Penny waited until Kurt wasn't looking anymore and roughly wiped the back of her hand against her lips until it hurt.

"Three rounds, five minutes, prison rules, bitch!" Rob barked out at the two men who were conversing with him and Kurt earlier and were now standing outside of the ring, looking up at him through the ropes. One man had a whistle around his neck and he spoke to the other man who held a clipboard and was currently ticking off a list with a pen. Rob then turned to look directly at Penny and gave her a cold smile, uninviting and yet interested. She suppressed a shiver and lowered herself to a seat, easing back into the cold metal chair. She watched Rob release his stare on her and do a couple of laps around the ring, stiffly banging himself on the chest with a closed fist, his hands donning the same type of fingerless gloves as Kurt, while mumbling to himself, no doubt getting pumped up.

She suddenly felt very worried for Kurt's well-being. Not that he didn't deserve a punch to the face every now and again, but Rob looked positively murderous. And by the look she saw on Kurt's face as he stood in the middle of the ring, his eyes downcast as he began to jog in place, she could sense a hint of worry in his features, too. Penny had been around enough egotistical men to understand Rob was clearly going to show off for her by kicking the ever-living shit out of Kurt. And suddenly she felt so bad, so completely and wholly bad for being there. A dread she could feel deep down inside. Sheldon was right for initially objecting to letting her come into this gym alone, even though she tried to convince him he was being silly for worrying so much, and now Penny was finally beginning to understand why.

As the man with the whistle asked Kurt and Rob if they were ready and explained that three claps of the wooden planks ringside signaled 10 seconds were left in the round, Penny fumbled with the phone in her back pocket and pretended to study the screen as if she were receiving an incoming text. She adjusted the settings earlier so that it wouldn't flash or make a sound when she snapped a picture, and she didn't have to use the 'zoom in' feature on her phone to get a clear image because she was close enough as she hit the capture button. She studied the picture and felt a small bead of cold sweat glide down her temple as the man with red hair and beady, dark eyes in the image stared straight at the lens, frozen in the portrait, then sent it to Sheldon.

* * *

"Sumbitch," Junior's thick Southern accent tumbled out of his lips as he gripped Sheldon's phone in his hands. He leaned all the way back in his seat and Sheldon turned to watch him as he studied the image. "It's really him. After all this time." His shoulders began to fall and rise at an accelerated rate, and Sheldon silently hoped that the car had childproof locks for the backseat.

"Yes. He looks a little worn around the edges, but it's him, alright." Sheldon chewed on his bottom lip and narrowed his eyes as thoughts filled his head to the brim, but the most incessant thought was of Penny's safety. In the picture, Marky was looking straight at her. And she wasn't far away from him. He wondered with a hint of panic if maybe he had caught her taking the pic, or if she was clever about it. Soon, he felt Junior tapping him on his shoulder with his iPhone. He took it from him and stared at the picture again.

"Looks like he's fighting that big fella, Kurt. I thought he was his trainer?"

"As did I." They were both silent for a moment as the realization settled around them like a passing dust storm. The bond between a trainer and a fighter was never broken, and they never sparred unless it was for training purposes. But Marky wasn't holding up a bean bag for Kurt to punch, and it dawned on Sheldon that perhaps they were about to engage in an actual bout. Then again, Marky had once been Junior's trainer, and that obviously did not turn out well. Apparently, Junior was thinking the same thing.

"We've gotta go in and watch. We'll stay hidden-"

"No!" Sheldon shouted, his voice high and shrill in the small space of Penny's car. "We agreed. Do not get out of this car."

Junior looked past Sheldon, through the windshield, and at the entrance of the gym with a fierce longing, looking as though he was about to jump out of his skin. "Then tell Penny to record him."

"Not today, Junior," Sheldon said firmly. "It's too risky. It looked like Marky was staring straight at Penny when she took this picture. If he catches on…"

"I don't give a shit, I want him."

"Excuse me." Sheldon unbuckled his seatbelt and turned completely around in his seat, facing Junior with two blazing eyes. "That's my friend in there. And if you want my help from here on out, you stay your ass in that seat. You may not give a shit, but _I _do." Sheldon's lips were trembling by the time he finished his short but effective warning to his brother. He rarely cursed, the product of a Christian home, but he was more than willing to do something even less Christian and break every bone in both of Junior's hands if he made another move for the door handle.

"Fuck," Junior spit out and turned to the left, looking out the window to suppress his rage. "Fine." Sheldon turned back around in his seat and faced the front, watching the gym doors intently. They were quiet for a long time as Sheldon concentrated on getting his blood pressure down again and Junior tried to control himself in the backseat. After another fifteen minutes and no more word from Penny, Sheldon's quick flash of anger bled into worry. He texted her, promising himself that if she didn't answer within a couple of minutes, he would release the beast in the backseat and both brothers would bum rush the establishment.

_Penny. Are you alright in there? _

As he waited for a reply, rather impatiently, Sheldon began to allow his mind to wander. If this were any other day, he would be at Caltech, perhaps having just returned from lunch with Wolowitz and Koothrappali and would be going over the rest of the day's events with his incorrigible assistant Alex, who undoubtedly was enjoying her weeklong vacation from Sheldon at the moment. He longed for the conformity of his office, the subtle squeaks of his markers scratching his brilliance against the worn whiteboard. He had initially requested a week vacation but found himself wondering if this situation would require more time. He was just as eager as Junior to finish this once and for all, to enact revenge and extinguish Marky's figurative light, but this situation would take more finesse. Junior was training every day and still as strong as a bull, quick and extremely agile even for being 37 years-old, but neither of them could know what they were in for until they saw Marky grapple and measure exactly where he was as a fighter these days. The phone buzzed in his hands and he started, so deeply lost in thought that he almost forgot where he was.

- _Have Jr drive my car 2 Huntington Hospital & wait there til I txt U again. _

"Lord," Sheldon whispered and before he realized what was he was doing, he was opening the car door, ignoring Junior's queries while his heart plummeted down into his intestines. His previous warning now null and void, Sheldon yelled at Junior to follow him. But as the brothers jumped out of the car, Sheldon saw the gym entrance doors fly open and he hissed at Junior to get low. Crouching behind the front wheels of Penny's car, Sheldon watched in confusion as the petite blonde came into view, half-dragging, half-walking her ex-boyfriend Kurt, who was bleeding profusely out of his mouth, out of The Golden Glove, then stop and catch Sheldon's eye. She furiously shook her head back and forth at him before talking in Kurt's ear, who weakly lifted his arm to point at a car to the left of the building.

"What the hell?" Junior suddenly asked right near Sheldon's ear. They both watched as Penny helped Kurt into the passenger seat of the car he had pointed to, slammed his door, and without another glance at Sheldon and Junior, climbed into the driver's seat. A second after the engine roared to life, Penny pealed out of the parking lot and was gone. "Sheldon, what is going on?"

"Get in the car and drive. I'll tell you where," Sheldon said, his voice shaking as his nerves rattled. He was teetering between relief that Penny was obviously unharmed, but also bursting with curiosity as to why Kurt was so badly injured.

"Shit!" Junior suddenly whispered hoarsely and yanked Sheldon by the collar before he could reopen the car door. "Get down!"

"Hey!" Sheldon was beginning to protest until Junior frantically pointed ahead at the entrance doors of the gym. Marky had stepped into the sunlight, his pale skin glistening with sweat and a gym bag hoisted over his shoulder as he left the gym with a couple of other guys who were patting him on the back as he threw his head back and laughed. As Sheldon laid flat on the gravel, his breathing sped up in fear that they had been spotted. But Junior, who had a better view from his crouched position against the truck parked next to them, let out a long breath and turned to face his brother before nodding. "Is he gone?" Sheldon asked timidly.

"Yeah. Doesn't look like he caught us. Where the hell did Penny go?"

"Huntington Hospital in downtown Pasadena," Sheldon said, his heart rate finally returning to normal as the sun bore down on the two men. "Let's go find out why."

* * *

It might not have been the whip-like effect of Rob's inside kick on Kurt's unprotected ribcage, or the lightning-fast uppercut to the soft space between Kurt's jaw and neck where his windpipe processed the inhale and exhale of oxygen, but somewhere between the two, Penny saw the faint look in Kurt's eyes that signaled he was done for.

After discreetly taking Rob's picture and placing her phone back into her pocket, Penny snuck a glance at the red-haired man to see if he had suspected her actions. All he did was grin at her, a cold, lifeless smile that threatened to unnerve her. Then the whistle was blown and not even 60 seconds into the fight, Kurt was bleeding buckets onto the ring's platform and Rob had barely broken a sweat. It was obvious to see why Kurt hardly considered himself an MMA fighter, only did it for kicks, and even more obvious was why Rob was the trainer. His moves were perfectly orchestrated on his loyal subject Kurt. Every strike and kick were like lyrics to Rob's favorite song and he was singing along word for word.

Watching Rob pummel a man as big as Kurt with hardly any effort caused a leak to spring in Penny as she suddenly thought of the power this monster had over her dear friend Sheldon over ten years ago. How obvious it suddenly all was that this dangerous man had threatened Sheldon's life, Missy's life, Mrs. Cooper's life, and how good he could have made on that threat. And all the sacrifices Sheldon had to make in order to survive and ensure his family did the same came to light, nearly bringing tears to Penny's eyes.

But as quickly as why what Junior and Sheldon were trying to do had begun to make sense, she saw Kurt fall to his knees after one direct punch to his nose. The crunch of Rob's knuckles connecting with the tip of Kurt's beak made Penny nauseated. Then she heard him emit a loud, almost inhuman cry of pain as Rob pivoted like a ballerina on the tip-toes of his left foot and whirled around his right to bring a crushing blow to the side of Kurt's head. Kurt's tongue lolled out of his mouth as he fell to the platform, face first, and didn't move. Penny wasn't thinking clearly as she jumped from her seat, surrounded by a few other bystanders who had done the same, and brought her hands to her face, gasping loudly as he remained motionless after falling to his stomach.

"That's the fight!" the man with the whistle around his neck waved his arms as he crouched protectively over Kurt to stop Rob from advancing on him again.

"That's how it's done!" Rob whooped excitedly and hopped out of the ring to greet his supporters.

Penny rushed up to the side of the ring, slamming her hands on the platform as tears filled her eyes. "Somebody help him!" she screamed, pointing frantically at Kurt who still had not moved. The man with the whistle and an older gentleman with a black leather bag tended to Kurt while Penny watched in horror. The older man pulled a few items out of his bag that looked like small vials of smelling salt, along with a tub of antiseptic and cotton balls. Penny suddenly felt so horrible, so low as she realized this was her fault. She nearly scrambled into the ring herself when she saw Kurt finally fidget, his legs twitching slightly before he let out a long, mournful groan.

"He doesn't look too good," a voice with an uninterested drawl said from behind Penny, causing her to yelp in surprise before turning slowly. "Someone shoulda warned him about steppin' into the ring with the big boys."

Penny was now face-to-face with Rob…Marky. She blinked a few times, willing the tears that coated her eyes to standby. She gave the man before her the most hateful expression she could muster, rage onset not only by her hurt ex-boyfriend lying in the ring behind her, but mostly for the knowledge of what this man had done to Sheldon, laid bare across her face. She wanted to tell him he would pay for this, she even wanted to suggest that he would soon meet his end for everything he had done. But instead, she shook her head from side to side, keeping her mouth closed. Sheldon has specifically warned her that under no circumstances was she allowed to "get all Nebraskan" on Rob's ass, even though that was the only thing she had on her mind at the moment.

Rob paid no mind to her menacing glare as he laughed and gave her a wink before parting. "Come back anytime, Penny. With or without your boyfriend." He said this meaningfully, and Penny nodded tightly while thinking, _You haven't seen the last of me yet._

* * *

Sheldon and Junior waited in a parking structure adjacent to Huntington Hospital, awaiting Penny's next instructions. The physicist was distressed, wanting desperately to see Penny to know that she was alright, and the longing to know what happened to Kurt. Junior sat quietly, fidgeting with his hands as he stared straight ahead. Not a word had been said after Sheldon's directions navigating their way to the hospital until Junior finally spoke.

"Penny's 'check engine' light is on."

Sheldon sighed tiredly and uncharacteristically decided not to elaborate. He looked down miserably at his phone, willing Penny to call.

"It looks like Marky unleashed hell on poor Kurt's head," Junior chimed in again, not truly seeming as though he was speaking to Sheldon. "I bet he finished him off with that famous spinning back kick of his." He tapped the steering wheel, a staccato beat that irked Sheldon, then mumbled, "I woulda countered that with a trap on his leg, brought him down with a leg lock."

Sheldon nodded. He had taught that defensive move to Junior years ago, in fear that Marky would attempt his infamous spinning back kick on his brother one day. Suddenly, Sheldon's phone began to ring. He yanked it to his ear before the tune could finish and breathed a shaky greeting into the receiver. "Penny?"

"Sheldon," she croaked on the other end, causing his chest to tighten.

"Are you okay?" One of Sheldon's hands was on the door handle again as Junior watched him carefully, waiting for the word.

"I'm fine, Sheldon," Penny sniffed. "Kurt's hurt. Really bad."

"Do you want me to come in?"

"No, I'm leaving right now. I've already called his sister to come sit by him. He's got a concussion and both of his cheekbones are broken, and his ear drum burst. He has to stay for a few days."

"Okay," Sheldon gulped, gesturing with his hands to Junior to start driving out of the parking structure. "Me and Junior are gonna pick you up right now in front of the emergency room entrance."

"Alright, I'm standing here now." Neither of them hung up the phone, silently breathing on their respective ends as Junior merged into oncoming traffic to circle the busy area around the hospital. After a moment, Penny shuddered another breath into the phone. "Sheldon?"

"Yes, Penny?"

"Did Rob…I mean, did Marky…did he ever touch you? Hurt you?"

Sheldon bowed his head, his eyes studying his knees as a feeling akin to fury swirled around him from head to toe. Junior was right; Marky had unleashed hell on Kurt and Sheldon was spitting angry that Penny had been up front and center to see it. He would never forgive himself for the fear evident in her voice. "No, Penny. Marky never touched me."

"He would've been dead sixteen years ago if he had," Junior said gruffly as they pulled up in front of the hospital and idled the car long enough for Penny to hop in the backseat.

Sheldon finally lowered the phone into his lap, turning around to gaze at Penny's tear-streaked face. He bit his lower lip, wanting to ask her if she was okay, but he knew the answer. "I am so sorry," he said instead, watching her with heavy eyes as she sat quietly behind them.

Penny said nothing and only looked out the backseat window as Junior shifted her car into drive and drove them all back to Los Robles Avenue.

* * *

Penny and Sheldon trudged up the stairs after Junior dropped them off. He was about to call for a cab to take him to the gym where he said he needed to train and clear his head, but Penny offered him her car on the condition that he fill it with gas. Junior had been grateful after a moment's hesitation, and when the two were alone, Sheldon mentioned to Penny that he had been apprehensive because of her 'check engine' light.

"Men," she said dismissively and the two began their trek upstairs. When they finally reached the fourth floor, Sheldon nervously looked down at Penny before licking his lips and telling her goodbye. When he turned his back, Penny shot her hand out, grabbing onto his shoulder and spinning him around. "Don't, Sheldon."

"I'm sorry?" he asked, his face riddled with confusion. "I thought you would want to be alone."

"Why would you think that?"

"I'm not at all advanced in the psychoanalysis of human emotion, but judging from your physical and mental withdrawal in the car as well as your refusal to answer any of my brother's questions on the drive home, I figured as much."

Penny rolled her eyes after Sheldon's long explanation. "I don't want to be alone right now. I want to be with you."

Sheldon hesitated, his eyes shifting nervously just as Junior's had earlier when she offered him her car, but then nodded his head. "Very well." He unlocked apartment 4A and gestured for her to follow. "Come in."

"Thank you," Penny groaned, suddenly exhausted. The wait in the emergency room had been virtually non-existent after she uttered the words "head injury" to the nurses at the check-in desk. They took Kurt back into triage quickly, giving Penny the ability to make a phone call to Kurt's sister with his cell phone, then her call to Sheldon with her own. She asked the nurse who had initially seen Kurt if he would be okay on his own for awhile, to which the nurse had assured her he would be out of it with pain medication for the foreseeable future, so Penny didn't feel too bad for leaving so abruptly. She couldn't see Kurt, couldn't bear to watch his face swell up twice its size, and couldn't bear to explain to his sister what exactly had happened. She had mentioned "gym-training accident" to the nurses and left quickly thereafter.

Now as she sunk into the couch near Sheldon's spot but not on it, Penny felt a rush of relief come over her. She inhaled the air of the apartment and felt wrapped up in comfort as she watched Sheldon get to work on making tea without even asking her first if she wanted a cup. He was slightly hunched over, his mouth in a tight, firm line and his eyes barely blinked, except for the occasional twitch. "Sheldon?" she called to him. He set down the kettle on the stove and turned to face her. "Are you okay?"

"Of course, I'm okay," he said frivolously, rolling his eyes. Penny watched him grip the sides of the kitchen table tightly, so tight that the skin of his knuckles threatened to split open over the bone. "I should be asking you the same."

"I'm okay now," she admitted truthfully. "Now that I'm here with you." When he didn't answer her, she sat up straight, leaning on her knees with her bent elbows. "Come sit by me, Sheldon."

"I'd rather stand."

Penny frowned, recognizing the cold shoulder of Dr. Sheldon Cooper when he turned it on her. "What are you doing?" she asked tiredly, unwilling to fight with him when all she wanted was for him to come sit by her and hold her hand.

"Penny, perhaps this was a bad idea." His eyes roamed over the floor at Penny's feet, the couch she sat upon, anywhere but her eyes.

"I told you, Sheldon, I'm okay. I was just shocked at the extent of Kurt's injuries-"

"No, Penny," he interrupted and finally glanced at her face, his eyebrows drawn in close together. "I mean all of this. You. Me. All of it."

Her heartbeat began to speed up as the realization of what Sheldon meant was registering in her mind. She suddenly began to think back to their reconciliation this morning; perhaps he was still angry about it, more hurt than he had let on. How could she have been so stupid over that damned Relationship Agreement? "Look, Sheldon, I said I was sorry about this morning. I'll never ask you about Amy again-"

"This isn't about _Amy_," Sheldon interrupted her again and this time his features were steely and unfriendly. "I just don't think it would be in anyone's best interest if we continued on like this."

"Hold the fuck on!" It was Penny's turn to interrupt as she leapt from the couch, pulling up the waist of her jeans as she stalked over to Sheldon in the kitchen. He backed up slowly, careful to avoid the stove as he pressed his back against the counter. "I'm in this, too, Sheldon, okay? After what I saw today? After what I went through? This guy Rob, Marky, whatever! He is a monster!" She felt her eyes begin to tear up again, silently cursing herself for being a female whose tear ducts burst like dams every time she showed emotion. "I can't just leave you in this now by yourself! So stop trying to get rid of me."

"That is precisely why I want to get rid of you!" Sheldon engaged in raising his voice and took a step towards a shocked silent Penny. "Do you know what I felt today? I felt like a knife was slowly cutting me from the inside out when you sent me the text to meet you at the hospital because I thought it was _you_ that had been hurt. I felt as though my life was being pulled out from under me like a rug! I can't lose you, Penny. I can't ever feel that way again!"

Hearing Sheldon yell wasn't a new thing for Penny. She had done many things in the six years of knowing him that warranted his temper to flare and tongue lashings had been accordingly administered. But the voice he carried now, it was textured with fear, palpable with emotion, bordering madness. His eyes were open wide, boring down on her in accusation with a hint of craving. She evoked something from him that neither she nor Sheldon could have known he had inside of him. And Penny suddenly realized that he was evoking the same emotion from her.

Their eyes remained locked on one another, and quickly, as if silently agreeing that the two of them could not be without the other, their lips abruptly made a beeline for each other, hands flying and tongues pushing until there was not any space between their bodies. Sheldon's hands went straight for their favorite spots: one to palm the exposed skin on her hip and the other to entwine itself in her hair. She groaned as their tongues wrestled for power, the taste of her tears mixed with his lips causing every nerve in Penny's body to shriek with pleasure. She pulled him down by his shoulders, bringing their chests together, then wrapped her arms around his neck, never wanting to feel anything but the sensation of him all around her.

It took a lifetime, yet not long enough, for Sheldon to break the kiss, surfacing like a drowning man coming up for air. He had Penny pinned between his body and the kitchen table, which wasn't very comfortable for her back, but she didn't dare push him away or move. She waited a few seconds for Sheldon to speak, concentrating on how tight he held her, their breath mixing together between them, his obvious desire for her pressing unabashed between her hips. "I am so sorry," he said for the second time that day.

"It's okay to feel many things in this moment," Penny purred, looking into Sheldon's blue eyes as he watched her carefully. "But sorry is _not _one of them." She leaned forward and pulled down on Sheldon's neck to bring his lips to hers again, and he fought her touch after a moment, rearing back to finish his point.

"Penny, I am so sorry. For putting you in that gym, in that situation. I am sorry that Kurt sustained those horrific injuries. I know you feel as though I prepared you for Marky's ruthless behavior, but there aren't enough words to conjure that would fully detail his destruction." By now, their breathing had evened and Sheldon's erection had disappeared, but their bodies were still very much touching. Neither of them had removed their embrace on each other.

"Sheldon, I don't blame you. You couldn't have predicted what would happen to Kurt."

"I could have taken a lucky guess," he said snidely, mostly towards himself.

"I was afraid, yes. And I feel truly sorry for Kurt, but he didn't have to agree to fight Marky. His own stupid pride put him in that situation. But what hurts me the most is knowing that you and Junior will keep pursuing him. I'm scared to death that what I saw in that gym will happen to Junior, or worse—to you." Penny let another tear roll down her cheek before Sheldon's finger met it halfway, wiping it away carefully with a lingering swipe of his thumb. She continued in a whisper. "Promise me, Sheldon, that if it comes down to facing Marky yourself, you will walk away." She closed her eyelids, letting Sheldon's breath wash over her face for a few seconds as he stayed silent. They fluttered open, meeting his shockingly bright blue eyes as she frowned. "Promise me, Sheldon."

"I promise," he answered in his own whisper, barely finishing his swear before eagerly covering Penny's mouth again with his own.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: All of your feedback is so appreciated and I can't tell you how encouraging it is that you all are continuing to give this story a chance. I love how you guys convey your feelings in the reviews about these characters. **

**And if you have favorited and followed my story, thank you so much! But if you'd make time to leave me a tiny little feedback to let me know just how you're feeling about it, too, I'd be overjoyed! :D**

**Hope y'all aren't opposed to some sexy Shenny time that these two desperately need after such a long day… **

***Warning: Slight smut that I know you dirty birds will enjoy. ;]***

* * *

Like a spark in the woods, what he could only assume was overwhelming desire suddenly ignited from the center of Sheldon's body until it spread all over and consumed him entirely and every inch of his skin was on fire. Holding Penny so tightly now, his mouth covering hers, he had never felt so alive. It didn't feel like this last night; a mess of tumbling limbs and clumsy kisses, longing glances in Penny's direction to determine if what her sighs and groans meant he was doing was incorrect or just right, a race to the finish before his biological urges decided he was up for another round.

No, right now, Sheldon felt rampant (_burning, wanting, primal?_). His hands still securely intertwined in her hair and on her waist, his hips instinctually grinded into Penny's whom he had up against his kitchen table, eliciting tiny moans from the back of her throat, until the contact actually began to warm him to an uncomfortable degree. He broke the kiss, breathing hard as he left his forehead against hers, and realized that the reason he was so uncomfortable was because he needed there to be no clothing barrier between the two of them. "My room," he gasped, then allowed himself to be pulled by the wrist and led down the hall. When they reached his bedroom door, Penny let Sheldon close it and lock it since she had become preoccupied with removing her jeans. She turned to face him, her face flush and the hollow at the base of her neck moist with perspiration. It seemed as though her need to disrobe was palpable as well.

"Lay down," he advised, motioning to his bed with a jerky hand movement. He had not mastered the ability to 'talk dirty' as it were, but he knew what he wanted, and saying exactly what it was seemed to be the best bet. He watched as Penny smirked and sat on the edge of his bed, facing him, then rocked back onto her elbows, sliding upwards onto the bed. His eyes dutifully began the task of studying every inch of Penny from head to toe, from her sleek blonde locks that framed her face, to the tight Nebraska t-shirt that she still wore, to the black lacy thong that had revealed itself after her jeans pooled to the floor. He appreciated it all as he took tentative steps towards her. Literally hundreds of words began to fly through his mind, bunching together and competing for a turn to be said, as they often did, but for the first time, Sheldon realized that this was not a time for words or explanations. All questions could be held until the end. So instead of articulating what to do next, he let his body do the talking. He finally took the last step until he was right in front of Penny, standing between her knees that still hung off the edge of the bed. Her hands began to roam over her own body, one quickly disappearing into the front of her panties, the other firmly grasping one of her breasts over the top of her t-shirt.

Even if Sheldon wanted to, he wouldn't be able to make a sound.

"Touch me, Sheldon," she pleaded, demonstrating just how she wanted to be touched with her own digits that were now moving curiously between her legs. Their eyes met after a moment, and Sheldon fumbled with the zipper of his slacks, removing his pants and kicked them across the floor until they met Penny's. His underwear went next and then they removed their own shirts simultaneously. He finally began his descent to the bed as Penny scrambled up until her head met his pillow. He kneeled beside her open legs, studying her as she removed her bra and tossed it to the floor. Her breasts were round, perky, and begged to be acknowledged. When she made a move for her underwear, he shook his head from side to side.

"I'll handle those," he offered, surprised by the husky demeanor in his own voice and sudden bravery. His heart sped up, pounding unforgivingly in his chest, and he suddenly felt the urge to gulp down an ice cold 8-ounce glass of water. He struggled to remain focused while his fingers made their way to the soft, silky skin of Penny's hips, hooking them into the waistband of her thong. She sighed contently as he slid them down, tugging slightly so that she could lift her hips and allow him to remove them completely. He watched her thighs as he pulled down the material, careful to avoid the generous view of her heated center. Last night, their intercourse had transpired in the dark, with only the faint sliver of light from a street lamp outside of his bedroom window to illuminate his room. Now, in the late afternoon sunlight pouring from his open curtains, Penny was fully exposed to him, and he quickly became aware of how exposed he was to her. As if sensing his hesitation, Penny spoke to him from her prone position.

"Are you alright, sweetie?"

Sheldon wanted to nod, but that would require him to look up, possibly grazing over her vagina with his eyes. "I can see you."

"Huh?"

He cleared his throat, swallowing hard. "I can see…all…of you." He could feel the tip of his ears and tops of his cheeks getting hotter by the second as he remained kneeled beside her closed legs, avoiding looking her way.

"And I can see you," she replied softly.

"It's rather graphic," he said stupidly, not sure if he meant that his exposure was graphic or hers was. Or maybe all of it. It had been easier to do this in the dark, where he wasn't so completely on display and she was doing most of the work. In the harsh light, Sheldon's inexperience and shortcomings were quite literally brought to light. He felt discouraged, and he hated it.

Penny giggled and rubbed her calve against Sheldon's thigh. "I like it graphic."

"Penny, please," Sheldon said, rolling his eyes. He had grown frustrated all of a sudden, feeling foolish at how readily he had initiated all of this with a fiery kiss in the kitchen. The bottomless confidence that Sheldon presumed in his everyday life suddenly was nowhere to be found. He felt his erection begin to wilt, causing further humiliation, and he collapsed on his rear, sitting down at the edge of the mattress with his back to Penny. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" She didn't sound angry or frustrated, only concerned, which made it worse for him when he felt her scoot down and place an open palm on his bare, hunched over back.

This was difficult enough to admit to himself that he wasn't sure how to proceed without explaining it to Penny, but he felt as though he owed her that much. "I know I did not perform at an exemplary level during coitus last night," he began carefully, still with his back to her. "And I'm afraid that the bright sunlight of the California sky that is glaring at us through my bedroom window right now would only further admonish my inability to perform." He looked to his window, and realized that at this time of day, even if he shut his curtains, the room would still be bright.

Penny was quiet for a moment, then began to rub her hand up and down Sheldon's back in a soothing manner. "What I think you said was, you like doing me when the lights are off?"

Sheldon huffed derisively, still facing away. "In so many words, yes."

"But if the lights were off, I wouldn't be able to see your gorgeous blue eyes looking back into mine."

"You already know what my eyes look like; they're no different in the dark."

"True," she admitted, removing her hand from his back. He almost regretted losing the feeling of her warm palm on his skin, but didn't turn around. He was about to reach down to the floor to grab his underwear when he felt the mattress situate under an abrupt lack of weight, and when he looked up, Penny was suddenly in front of him, invading his entire view with her naked body. He suppressed a gasp, biting his lower lip as his eyes directly went to her erect nipples. She posed confidently, both of her hands on either hip, her legs slightly spread apart, her back straight and chest out. She nearly resembled a severely underdressed Wonder Woman from the cover of one of his comic books. "But you wouldn't get to see how much I want you if the lights were off."

"Penny…" he started, his eyes lowering until they hovered at her belly button. All he had to do was look down a fraction of an inch further, and he would get an eyeful of what terrified him most, yet the part of her that he craved more than anything.

"Look at how much I want you, Sheldon," Penny commanded, and Sheldon obeyed. His eyes betrayed his will and he lowered his gaze. Now he couldn't look away. She glistened, her apparent desire on display between her thighs. It created a boiling rouse in his lower abdomen, and he slowly felt his member rise. "The best part of having the lights on, though," she said with a sly smile and removed her hands from her hips as she lowered herself to her knees, "is so you can watch me do this." She was kneeling before Sheldon now, her hands on his thighs as she slowly pried them apart. He almost cringed at how conspicuously his erection sprung out into her face, just missing her chin. And that's when the sudden proximity of Penny's lips to his groin suddenly dawned on Sheldon, and he nearly groaned as the realization hit him, causing his skin to tighten. Before he could protest, as if he had it in him to protest which he most certainly did not, Penny's tongue snaked out of the crooked grin on her lips and slowly ran itself across the sensitive tip of his member.

"Lord!" Sheldon inhaled sharply, his face twisting into a grimace of slight horror and equal parts arousal. He had never felt anything like it before! Penny scooted her knees closer and her tongue shot out again, this time running itself along the length of the underside of his shaft. His erection was almost blindingly acute now, his earlier inhibitions leaving him entirely. Hovering her open mouth over his tip, Sheldon wanted nothing more than to feel her lick him again, and by the wild look in her eyes, Penny knew it. She placed an open palm on Sheldon's chest, urging him to fall back and relax, then her other hand came up to grip him firmly, working him up and down at a treacherously slow pace. "Penny," he whimpered as her mouth finally closed over him. Her jaw clenched slightly to create a vacuum all around him, surrounding his member with her warm breath and slippery tongue. She began to suck, and Sheldon watched in awe, propped up on his elbows, as every few reps, more and more of him disappeared further into her mouth.

"Mmmm…" She winked at him before closing her eyes and subtly began to suck harder.

Penny hadn't done this to him last night, and he realized that she was right; he was glad the lights were on to see it.

Sheldon studied the reactions his own body was displaying. He watched the taut muscles of his lower abdomen flex, his thigh muscles clench and unclench, the rise and fall of his chest, all while looking down at the blonde haired beauty bobbing between his legs. Of all five senses, his visual abilities were heightened the most, causing every erotic image to affect his arousal tenfold. He was then distracted by the familiar tightening of his testicles that were coupled with the wet, sloppy trail Penny had begun to leave as she took each one in her mouth, pumping his member with her firm hand. He was about to lose it all over her, and that wasn't acceptable. "Penny!" he yelped. "Come…come here." He was breathless, but the frantic waving of his hands that motioned for her to join him on the bed weren't lost on her. She gave one last, plump and sensual kiss on his shaft before jumping up and kneeling on the mattress. She pushed him all the way down on his back, placing both hands on his bare chest as she swung a leg over his body and straddled him. She assumed a position that was sure to get him off faster than he cared to admit, but after the fantastic oral performance she had just bestowed upon him, he could hardly be held accountable.

"I want to make you come," she declared in a purring voice while at the same time using her hand to guide his dick to her opening. Statements as such were abundant during last night's romp, but now, in the daylight, Sheldon was able to watch her perky lips as the dirty demand left her mouth, and it ignited the same fire of passion he had felt earlier in the kitchen again within him. He held on tight to her hips and thrust himself inside of her on pure instinct, trapping her hand between their bodies and causing her to howl with carnal satisfaction. The sunlight that poured into the room like rushing water hit Penny's golden hair just right, causing her to positively glow before Sheldon as he lifted his hips off of the bed, wildly bucking deep into her hot, juicy folds. "Sheldon!" she called weakly, her voice ringing in his ears as the sight at the corner of his eyes began to blur.

"Ah!" Sheldon cried out a few incoherent annotations of his own as his hands shot out to grab onto Penny's bouncing breasts and squeeze for dear life, his hips still pushing up, unrelenting and quicker in pace. It was by sheer divine intervention that he lasted long enough to hear Penny whine his name repeatedly and feel her insides clench him, signaling her orgasm. He was no hero; he followed right behind her and the exquisite feel of his release was encompassed by her tight, ever-welcoming hole. He clamped his eyes shut, his mouth slack as ragged breaths drew in and out, and the aftershocks of his powerful orgasm rocked him from head to toe. His hands had drifted back down to Penny's soft hips, and he relished the feel of her rocking against him still until it began to become uncomfortable. He brought her hips to a stop, satisfied with the sensation as she folded over and lied down on his chest while he remained inside of her. Her hair spread out wildly all over his face, and he blew a few strands away from his lips. "Penny?" he asked, still out of breath.

"Hmm?"

"I move for all future sexual activities to be done with the lights on."

She laughed so hard that he slipped out of her, her body racking with giggles. The vibration of her body against his as she chortled lulled him into a comfortable catnap, after which she quickly joined him.

* * *

Penny awoke disoriented and more tired than she had been before she slipped into an impromptu slumber. Sheldon's bed was narrower than hers, and when she tossed a leg behind her and almost fell off the side, she shot an arm out and grabbed onto Sheldon's exposed waist. He giggled, still half-asleep, at the sudden feel of fingers grasping his ribs.

"Stop tickling me," he croaked, his voice thick with exhaustion. The sunlight had died away, a pale twilight now colored the room a slight blue. She saw him squint disapprovingly at her and she clucked her tongue.

"I wasn't trying to tickle you, goofball," she said, removing her fingers from his waist. "I almost fell off the bed just now, so I reached out to grab something and you were the first thing I felt."

"Then come closer," he groaned. His arms were around her, and she turned so that her back was to his chest, as well as her ass to his upper thighs where she felt a very curious prodding. She smirked although he couldn't see her face, and settled back into him, sighing loudly. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing," she said. "Just so tired."

"We can go back to bed," he suggested, but was interrupted by the sudden growl in Penny's stomach. She cringed as he chuckled. "Or not."

"Sorry," she said sheepishly, looking over her shoulder. "I guess I'm hungry."

"As am I."

"It's Tuesday night," she said with a smile. "By now you'd be pestering me about getting your order wrong at work."

"How hard is it to remember that I love my barbeque bacon cheeseburgers with the barbeque sauce, bacon, and cheese on the side, Penny?"

"It's not hard to remember," she said with a bite of sarcasm. "You've been ordering the same thing for six years. You ever think that maybe I purposely do it to piss you off?"

"You _are _a terrible waitress," he murmured in her hair, then tightened his grip on her waist.

"Yeah," she agreed with a giggle. They remained still before Penny's stomach grumbled again. "God, this is embarrassing." She regretfully detached Sheldon's long arms from her and sat up, stretching her back gingerly. Her breasts ached and she knew she would probably be facing more bruising after he used them like stress balls during sex. "Want to go to the Cheesecake Factory?"

"Nah," Sheldon answered from behind her. She perched an eyebrow and turned around, eyeing his silhouette as the room darkened further.

"I'm sorry?" Penny knew that Sheldon Cooper was a creature of habit, even if his actions as of lately were not so in character.

"I don't want to leave," he clarified. "Maybe Junior can bring us some Cheesecake Factory to-go?"

"I don't see why not," she said thoughtfully. "Want to call him while I take a quick shower?"

"Alright," Sheldon agreed, and they both finally peeled themselves out of the sheets and into motion. As Penny gathered her clothes from the floor, Sheldon walked to his door and flipped on the light switch to his ceiling fan. The light caused them both to wince and laugh. As her eyes adjusted, she turned to face Sheldon in all of his naked glory. He stood with a certain Greco-Roman contrapposto, valiant yet casual, his entire body firm and slim yet long and powerful in the arms and legs. She felt her face flush; Sheldon certainly wasn't afraid of the light anymore. "What?" he asked, acknowledging her sudden shyness.

"Sheldon," she began as she pulled on her jeans. "You're beautiful." She didn't bother to reapply her bra as she slipped on her t-shirt.

"Beautiful?" he echoed, his eyebrows furrowing together. Penny couldn't help but giggle as he stood before her, still naked as the day he was born. "Well, thank you for the compliment, Penny."

"You're welcome," she supplied, grinning from ear to ear. "Now put your pants on so we can eat." She sauntered over to him and planted a sweet kiss on his lips, and purred in satisfaction when he pushed his mouth against hers to comply. She withdrew and walked around him to reach for the door knob, but was whirled around when Sheldon grabbed her elbow. She looked up at him, his blue eyes boring down on her in a way that left her breathless, and waited for him to speak.

"Beautiful isn't sufficient," he whispered. Now it was Penny's turn to furrow her eyebrows. _Can't the man take a simple compliment without correcting me?_ Before she could say anything, he continued. "To describe you, Penny, beautiful isn't sufficient. Yours is the type of beauty that the Trojans declared war for."

"Sheldon," she breathed, reddening by the second. "When did you become so poetic?" She grinned up at him as he shrugged. "Okay, I'm going to run across the hall and shower at my place. Call Junior. Order me a large Cesar chicken salad and a large lemonade."

"Very well," Sheldon said, nodding before he finally let her elbow go. He looked reluctant to let her out of his sight, but she winked at him and told him she'd be back, then left him to get dressed, closing his bedroom door behind her. She made her way through the empty apartment, stopping first to glimpse inside Leonard's dark bedroom to see if Junior had come back, but all signs pointed to no, so she continued down the hall. She stepped lightly and reached the apartment door when she heard the unmistakable sound of knocking. But it wasn't on Sheldon's door; it sounded like it was on her door. She froze, quickly racking her brain to figure out who would be coming to see her today. She rolled her eyes at herself and remembered the peephole (_damn my blonde roots_). She pressed her eye to the hole and gazed out. Her breath caught in her throat at the unmistakable blonde waves and short stature of Bernadette Rostenkowski-Wolowitz who was shifting her weight from foot to foot as she resumed her knocking on the door of apartment 4B.

"Shit!" she cursed in a high whisper.

"What are you doing, Penny?" Sheldon's sudden appearance behind her caused Penny to scream before clamping her hands over her own mouth. "What on earth?" the physicist asked with a puzzled expression.

Before Penny could explain, she heard another round of knocking, but this time, it was on Sheldon's door. She watched him freeze and suddenly took notice of his casual attire. He only wore a white t-shirt, the same kind of plain shirt he wore under his flannel pajama shirts, and his trusty flannel bottoms. His hair was askew, making him look oh-so cute with the bed-head, but if he were to open the door looking like he did, and with Penny next to him in her ruffled jeans and t-shirt (with no bra on), they sure would have some explaining to do. "Shh, Sheldon," Penny pleaded, holding a finger to her lips.

"Penny, I heard you scream in there. Sheldon, I know you can hear me, too. Open up." The tiny yet stern squeak of a suspicious Bernadette caused Penny's blood to run cold. Her eyes remained on Sheldon as he began to fidget slightly, physically torn between wanting to open the door or judging by the looks of him, jumping out of the window. She sighed and took pity on him; this entire situation was uncharted land to both of them, but at least she could handle the heat. She decided to take the bullet and answer the door herself.

"Sheldon, go to your room," she urged. "I'll handle Bernadette."

"What are you going to say?" he asked quickly, his eyes darting to hers.

"She probably wants to know why I haven't returned any of her calls. Don't worry, I won't say anything about Junior. I'll take her to my place and make something up. I'll be back in a little while." She motioned with her hands for him to go away and he slowly backed up, watching her carefully the entire time. She knew that he didn't want to leave her alone, but the sight of them two together with their respective after-sex glows and fragrances wouldn't help matters. When he was finally out of sight, Penny took a deep breath and opened the door just as Bernadette had begun to knock again. Penny put on a wide smile and greeted her friend cheerfully. "Hey, Bernadette!"

"Don't 'hey' me," she growled. Which was more like a purr coming from her. "Where's Sheldon?" She craned her neck around Penny's shoulder, trying to catch a glimpse with a watchful eye. Penny closed the door behind her and smoothed her hair behind her ears, causing Bernadette to back up into the hallway.

"He's in his room changing," Penny said before quickly adding, "He just kicked me out so he could change. We were gonna go have some dinner at the Cheesecake Factory."

"I see," Bernadette said, the curiosity still evident on her cute face. "Why haven't you called me back? Or answered Amy's texts? The woman is freaking out!"

"I'm sorry," Penny said and began to guide Bernadette towards her own apartment. She fumbled into her back pocket for her keys, which were thankfully still snug inside her jeans instead of on the floor somewhere in Sheldon's bedroom, and unlocked her door. "I've just been so busy with work, and driving Sheldon around, keeping him company…you know he's like a child and with Leonard gone I'm like a single mother, running around like a chicken with her head cut off." By the time she quit rambling, she was sitting on her couch and her friend was standing by the door, clutching the strap of her purse and staring down at her. "Is everything okay? You want a drink?"

"Yes to everything is okay and no to the drink," Bernadette answered. "I was just concerned that I hadn't heard from you in awhile. And Amy has been Skyping me every day to complain about Sheldon. What is his deal? Howie said he took a week off of work?"

"Yeah," Penny answered carefully, rubbing her knees with her palms. She was scrambling to think of an explanation but Bernadette was firing off questions faster than Penny was able to answer.

"Well if he hasn't been going to work, where have you been taking him?"

"Nowhere," Penny said quickly.

"But you just said you have been busy driving him around?" Bernadette's face softened. "What's going on, Penny?"

"Nothing!" Penny said a little too loudly. "I just meant we go everywhere and nowhere. He just wanted a little vacation from work, so I've taken him to run some errands, or whatever."

"Sheldon taking a break from work?" Bernadette was unconvinced, but her tone began to lighten. "Well, does this have anything to do with why he's been ignoring Amy?"

"I really couldn't say." Penny shook her head from side to side. "He hasn't said anything about it, and I haven't brought it up. Seems like a sensitive issue." Penny felt her heart begin to pump faster, knowing that she was probably doing more harm than good by not supplying Bernadette with any explanation, but decided to focus some attention away from Sheldon. "I'm so sorry I haven't called you back Bernadette. Crazy week at the Cheesecake Factory. Gus has been asking me to pick up more bartending shifts, so I go in early, come out late, it's insane. But we should get together this weekend. I'm off on Saturday!"

"Well," her friend said slowly. "Alright. But Penny, are you sure everything is okay? You seem a little…off." Bernadette was staring at Penny so intently that she felt maybe it was written across her face: _I've just been having sex with Sheldon Cooper, no big deal._ So she bit her lip and told a horrific lie.

"I've just been missing Leonard so much, that I'm trying to keep busy. Being around Sheldon is helping." As the words left her mouth, Penny regretted it. She was simply fucking with her karma like she never had before, but she was committed to protecting Sheldon. To her relief, she watched as her friend's face immediately relaxed as she began to nod in understanding.

"I see. Well, I'm glad you're alright. And if you think time with Sheldon is _helping_, then you are definitely overdue for a girl's night. Call me this weekend." And with that, Bernadette took a few tentative steps towards Penny's door. "Seriously, Penny. Call me. I've missed you."

Penny's heart suddenly felt heavy. She missed her friends, too. All of them. But her promise to Sheldon was more important right now. An unwanted vision of what Marky did to Kurt earlier that day flashed across her mind, and Penny knew that all of her friends were safer not knowing anything, even Amy and Leonard, no matter what may happen in the future. "I miss you, too. I promise I'll call. Say hi to Raj and Howard for me."

"Okay." Bernadette waved over her shoulder as she left. "Bye, Penny." And as the door shut behind her, Penny leaned back into her couch, covering her face with both of her hands. She sat there for a good five minutes, allowing her breathing and heart rate to return to normal. Her stomach had long since stopped growling and instead was doing cartwheels. She suddenly missed Sheldon fiercely, the short distance between his apartment and hers suddenly seemingly like miles long. She sighed and headed for the bathroom to take that long-awaited shower, when a few heavy bangs on her door startled her. She waited for Bernadette's voice or even Sheldon's signature _Penny?_ but neither followed and she went to open her door. What she saw on the other side both confused her and terrified her at the same time.

* * *

Sheldon paced in his room, feeling lower than low. He wrung his hands together as his feet shuffled back and forth, torn between wanting to be there with Penny and frightened of seeing Bernadette. He was grateful Junior had not been in the apartment, which would have been cause for Bernadette to run back to Howard and spill the beans. At the same time, he worried that Penny might slip up and say something as well. But he trusted her, so that errant thought left his mind quickly. He waited on his bed, his legs bouncing up and down before he jumped up and began to pace again, all the while coming to the conclusion that this situation with Marky had to be resolved sooner rather than later. He would tell Junior tonight that they would have to somehow sneak into Marky's gym in disguise or at least well-hidden so that they could watch him train once or twice, then Junior would have to make the call to initiate the fight. Sheldon would not put Penny back in the same situation again, never leave her alone and unprotected with that monster.

As his thoughts boiled down to the fight between Marky and Junior, Sheldon suddenly began to wonder where his brother was. It had been at least five hours since he left them at the apartment, and although it wasn't unheard of for his brother to spend that much time training in one day, he had thought that Junior would come back by now to quiz Penny about what she saw. It had been on Sheldon's mind, too, to ask Penny the kind of fighting styles that she could best describe when she saw Marky fight. But he felt it insensitive being that the exact moves that he showed off put her ex-boyfriend in the hospital, so he had declined to ask, rightfully so. He looked down at the bed beneath him and a sudden heat of pressure began to stir in his loins. He cursed himself for becoming such a slave to his biological urges so quickly, becoming undone at the thought of everything he had done with Penny in the last few days. The kisses, the sex, it was not the type of man Sheldon ever thought he was capable of being. But the intrigue that came with expelling furious and passionate energy into Penny when his hands were on her, when he was inside of her, well, it was too satisfying to ever think of going back to who he once was.

And with this last thought, Sheldon rose from his bed and left his room, unwilling to leave Penny alone any longer. Let Bernadette think what she will; Sheldon would not confirm nor deny any assumptions she might make. His place was with Penny now, by her side from here on out.

He turned the knob to his front door in time to hear Penny scream his name, her voice so panicked and hoarse that it sent multiple chills up his spine all at once. He ripped the door open and watched his older brother, bloodied and battered, slump over Penny's threshold to the floor and lay unmoving at her feet as she screamed Sheldon's name again.

* * *

_Kurt was on morphine. He felt the wave he had been floating on for what seemed like days begin to push him to the shore. He fought against it, waving his arms and kicking his legs to try and get pulled back into the current because it was so mellow, so comforting. His face didn't hurt when he was underwater. The more sand he felt beneath his body meant he was coming closer to the shore, and at the shore awaited conscious thought. He would be able to feel everything when he woke up. He had a high threshold for pain, but he hadn't been beat up like a carcass on a meat hook being punched by Rocky ever in his life until Rob got his hands on him. _

_Rob, that son of a bitch. Evil motherfucker. _

_He always had an agenda, always had to show off. He showed off alright, by kicking his ass in front of Penny. Fucking Penny had to come into the gym looking all good. Kurt knew Rob wanted to impress her the moment he laid his eyes on her. _

_And Kurt was no better, accepting a fight he knew he wouldn't win in order to impress Penny as well. _

_Just once, if he could get Rob alone without his pair of goons that were always surrounding him to get his back. He would kill him for doing this to him. He might not be able to best Rob in hand-to-hand combat, but he'd bring a gun to a knife-fight, he didn't care. Kurt wasn't exactly an honorable man himself. _

_The morphine was thinning out now, burned up by his massive size. He felt his eyes flutter and even though he fought it to the very end, he woke up. His eyes were swollen shut, but through the small slits he was able to make out a figure right in front of him. He didn't recognize the man, but he flinched immediately when he saw the bulk of his body. The man hovered over him with a thoughtful expression on his face, and when he understood Kurt was afraid, he leaned back. _

"_Whoa there, boy," the man said, his voice thick with a Southern drawl, causing Kurt to feel panic rising up in him again. "I ain't gonna hurt you. Looks like someone else already did." The familiarity of the stranger's accent and muscly figure in front him made Kurt's heart stop, but the stranger's eyes were a deep ocean blue that he didn't recognize. He remained quiet as the man spoke again. "I'm here to offer you a little help, Kurt. Of course, if you're willing to help me, too." _


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: I haven't abandoned you all! Sorry for the delay, but real life became, for a lack of a better word, unfun for a little while, and I just finished summer school (another 'A' weee) **_**and**_** I started another story so I've been completely scatter-brained lately! Plus I'm reading a book…come on, even writers gotta read! :] **

**Moonpie: Lol, I'm sorry! I swear I've been paying attention to this story, too, but I've been making tweaks before posting because now we're in the thick of it. You're absolutely right though - you and all of my amazing readers who have reviewed since day 1 deserve more frequent updates. And I was doing pretty good with the first 13 chapters, remember? Lol, but yeah, stuff happens. I promise I will not abandoned this story, in fact, it's all completely outlined up until the end and we're more than half-way through. Forgive me! **

**Enjoy chapter 14 :D *Warning: This chapter, which serves as the bridge for events to come, contains graphic violence and a slightly darker side of Sheldon that'll make you cringe…or get you a little excited. Either way.***

* * *

If only he could get his hands to stop shaking. Or maybe if Penny would cease her sobbing. Maybe then he could make the room stop spinning, stop the bile from rising in his throat, stop his heart from beating so fast that it threatened to take flight out of his chest and never return. But his sight zeroed in on his brother's body as a dark liquid dripped from the side of his stained shirt, and he realized that the most important thing that Sheldon had to control right now was the bleeding. He snapped to, like a splash of cold water to his face, and he hurried to Penny's door where she was hovering over Junior. The blood pooled all around them, soaking Sheldon's flannel pajama pant legs as he kneeled beside his brother.

"Oh, God!" Penny shouted as she rolled Junior's moaning body onto his side. He began to cough, his mouth slack and blood pouring from his nose, dribbling from his lips. "Sheldon! What do we do?"

"Mmmph…" The older Cooper brother wheezed and gasped, then stopped making noises all together.

"Junior," Sheldon said, ignoring Penny's shrieks. He placed his trembling hands on his brother's ribs, feeling for any sign of a fracture. He lifted Junior's shirt and found the source of the bleeding-a gaping hole about one inch wide and half an inch in height. When Penny saw the gash, she screamed again. "Penny!" Sheldon hollered suddenly, cutting her off. "Call 9-1-1. Then go to your kitchen and grab the vodka from your freezer and a clean steak knife. Lastly, bring plenty of towels." He growled at the prospect of having to repeat himself, but Penny blinked twice, the tears streaming down her face and she finally lifted herself to her feet and ran into her apartment to retrieve the items Sheldon requested. Meanwhile, Sheldon looked back down at his brother, both of his palms now pressing against Junior's open wound.

"_George_," Sheldon tried again with vehemence. His brother's eyes were nearly swollen shut, but from what little he could see, the eyeballs were rolling up into his skull. His lips were turning blue. "Penny! Bring me an ink pen!"

He heard Penny repeating the address to the apartment building on the phone while she tossed items around, but he kept his eyes on Junior, watching precious time slip away.

* * *

_Eight years earlier. _

Junior had a lot to celebrate that night.

Marky had finally released him and Sheldon from his sick and twisted hold, fleeing the state after he made bad on a deal. And Junior had just won the biggest contest he had ever been a part of. It was wholly legit, a match with actual MMA professional scouters in attendance. They had been impressed by Junior's bout and had promised to keep in contact. Then a pair of men that he usually did business with promised Junior that his winnings were being counted and ready for him to collect behind the barn. Junior's chest swelled with pride; his victory tonight had been entirely on him. But when he finished his opponent off with a triangle choke submission, Junior had looked into the crowd, scanning it for Sheldon's identical eyes, although he never saw him. He knew that his little brother didn't belong in this world, a barn full of hollering and spitting crowds watching blood spill and bones break in the center of a makeshift octagon, but after everything they had been through together, Junior had hoped maybe he would show.

Sheldon had stopped scouting other fighters after Marky left, and Junior couldn't blame him. He had brought Sheldon into this mess, and now it was time for him to get out. He knew that his brother was home, packing to leave for California the next day. So Junior slinked out of the barn, passing up the crowd, and headed to the back to collect the winnings, of which he would split down the middle with Sheldon. A cool five thousand as a parting gift from Junior to his little brother. Not that it would ever make up for the hell he had put him through, but it was a start.

The area behind the barn where he was supposed to meet the two guys with his money was vacant, so Junior leaned against the clapboards and waited. The air was humid, thick, like a big wet blanket, making it hard to breathe. But Junior inhaled deeply anyway, staring up at the stars that shone down on him. Sheldon was going off tomorrow to make a new start for himself. Maybe Junior could do that, too someday. He had the money, he just needed the motivation.

The stars twinkled fiercely, the supporting cast behind the bright, ghoulish moon, as two men snuck up on Junior's flank. He was dreamily staring up at the Texas sky when one of the men brought a knife to his throat, flipped him around, and brought the blade down in a swift slitting motion against Junior's neck. But the Cooper boy was too quick, even having been caught off-guard, and flicked his head towards the blade, causing the knife to gash his face instead of his jugular.

While the stars continued to blaze above them, and the crowd roaring as they watched another fight inside of the barn, three men struggled until two were left unconscious, and one staggered away.

* * *

_Present day. _

"Why…why a pen, Sheldon?" The moment Penny heard her voice she wanted to smack her own mouth. She sounded so childish and weak. Usually she was the one in charge, the one who would know what to do. But when she opened the door and found Junior staring back at her through the slits of his swollen eyes, a hand out to grab her before he fell, she completely checked out. As Junior fell to the ground at her feet, so did her sanity. She saw Sheldon before she could finish screaming his name and now he sat with his brother on the ground, holding an open wound to stop the bleeding. The color had still not returned to his face. She ran back to the threshold and handed Sheldon the bottle of vodka first. He twisted the cap off with the forefinger and thumb of one hand, keeping the other on his brother's wound just below his ribs. Then he put the bottle down and used his free hand to feel around Junior's exposed side.

"I need you to remove the ink cartridge cylinder from your pen and place it in my left hand. Then pour vodka all over Junior's ribs and the tip of that steak knife."

Penny allowed all of Sheldon's directions to sink in, then felt her hands mechanically begin to work, twisting the back end of a pen and removing the cylinder, then placing it in Sheldon's open palm. The entire time, she kept her eyes on Sheldon's, who never broke eye contact with her. She finally looked down to grab the vodka bottle and poured the cold liquid over Junior's ribs. She saw the skin stretched thinly over what looked like a broken, mangled bone. She whimpered as she poured more vodka over the steak knife. "Sheldon?" she met his eyes again. "What are you going to do?"

"I need you to listen to me closely," Sheldon said quickly, his calm tenor disappearing as the urgency of the situation set in. "I need your undivided attention and unflinching participation." Penny nodded as she watched Sheldon swallow, his Adam's apple bobbing. "I'm going to remove my hands from Junior's wound and you will replace them with your own. You will need to apply firm pressure with your palms, but do not lean onto it. Next, I am going to make a small incision between Junior's bottom and second to bottom rib. They have broken and punctured his lung, collapsing it so that he cannot breathe, that's why he is turning blue."

"Sh…Sheldon," Penny began, panic causing the tears to well up in her eyes until she couldn't see him clearly anymore. But before she could protest further, he shook his head firmly, leaving her no room for argument.

"Penny, listen to me. If I don't get air into Junior's lungs in the next few seconds, he will suffer sufficient brain damage from lack of oxygen. I am not asking for your permission, I am asking for your help."

Penny blinked back the tears, realizing if there were ever a time that she would be required to uphold her promise to Sheldon that she would never leave him, it would be now. "Okay, okay," she whispered, readying her hands to take Sheldon's place on Junior's wound. They stared at each other for a split second before they got to work, switching places swiftly and a moment later, Penny felt the pulsating wound beneath her hands. She felt the blood pumping, working to get past her flesh and pour out of Junior's body, but her hold was firm. The blood began to clot against her palms. Although she tried not to, Penny found herself watching Sheldon as he began to work on his brother's side. She felt the nausea threaten to overcome her as sure enough, he used the tip of the steak knife to create a deep circular incision between two of his fingers that were held flush against Junior's skin. Then, to Penny's horror, she watched Sheldon dump the rest of the vodka onto the empty pen, then held it tightly in his fist before jamming it directly into Junior's incision. Blood flowed freely through the pen, gushing out like a water hose, hitting Sheldon's stomach, but his focus remained true. "That's too much blood," Penny cried, watching the blood continue to ooze out of the pen. She looked at Junior's unconscious face, seeing no change.

"Come on, damnit," Sheldon murmured as beads of sweat formed on his slick forehead.

"Sheldon," Penny's voice raised. _Where is the fucking ambulance?_

"Come on…" The weakening resolve on Sheldon's face caused Penny's stomach to drop. They heard nothing except for each other's labored breaths, the racking sobs Penny allowed to escape from her lips.

And then finally.

"Unnghh…uck."

"Oh, my God!" Penny yelled, watching in awe as Junior's legs began to move while he took in deep, raspy breaths through his slack mouth. He gasped like a fish out of water, his lips puckering with great difficulty.

"Aw…hh..hh-uck."

"Sheldon, what is he saying?" she turned to watch the physicist as he shuddered his own deep breaths of relief. He blinked rapidly, still staring down at Junior as he used both of his hands to intricately hold the pen upright. The blood had finally slowed, and bubbles were now being emitted from the end of the pen that wasn't inside of Junior's body. "Sweetie, are you okay?"

"Yes," Sheldon answered, still blinking quickly. She noticed a slight tremor pass over his chin.

"H-un-uck-uh." Junior continued to moan and much to Penny's relief, she heard the unmistakable stomps of boots climbing the stairs quickly.

"Oh, thank you God, EMS is here," she said before raising her voice. "We're up here! Fourth floor!"

"Uh…h-un-uck-uh."

"What's he saying?" Penny asked again as the three paramedics finally reached the fourth floor with a gurney ready to transport Junior.

"I believe he's trying to say, '_motherfucker'_," Sheldon mused, his tone flat and his stare vacant, seemingly unaware of the foul language leaving his lips. "He can't pronounce it correctly because from what I can see, his mandible is dislocated anteriorly."

Penny watched as Sheldon freed one of his hands to grasp his brother's arm and rub it reassuringly, an act that both shocked her and left her heart heavy. And before the paramedics could ask Sheldon to move, Junior shifted the arm from under his body up to grasp Sheldon's hand, then gave it the tiniest of squeezes.

* * *

_Eight years earlier_.

Sheldon's cell phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out and read the e-mail confirming his appointment with a highly recommended E.N.T. the same day he arrived in Pasadena. Traveling anywhere outside of Texas aggravated his sinuses and he didn't want to be hampered by his sinusitis the first week on the job at Caltech.

Sighing deeply, Sheldon gently placed his cell phone on his night stand before surveying his empty childhood room. This room where he could never sleep soundly, where he never felt safe. A familiar twinge of hate threatened to consume him, but he swallowed it down, reminding himself that in less than 12 hours, he would be boarding his train and off to his new life. A life he worked hard for, a life he deserved. With an apartment already lined up (and on the route shuttled by Caltech's own bus system), Sheldon had much to look forward to.

"Sheldon!" his sister screeched. "Sheldon, get out here! It's Junior!"

"Missy?" Sheldon inquired, hustling out of his room and rushing down the hall until he saw his sister standing by the screen door that overlooked the front porch. "What on earth has gotten into you? Why are you screaming?"

"Look! Junior is outside! He's bleeding! I'm calling the police…"

"Don't call no goddamn police," a rough voice, thick and sappy, ordered from the other side of the screen door. "Just tell Shelly to get his skinny ass out here."

"Missy," Sheldon murmured. "Go to the back. I'll take care of it."

"Junior, don't you go putting your hands on Sheldon!" their sister warned, wagging her finger at Junior through the door. "I won't hesitate to pull Momma's Mosberg on you!"

"Shut up, Melissa! Get Sheldon!"

"Missy," Sheldon repeated, a little more forceful as he placed a hand on her shoulder and yanked her back from the door. "Go to the back." He stared her down until her shoulders sagged and she finally nodded, stepping out of his way. Sheldon waited until she was down the hall and in her room before he turned and looked out of the mesh material of the closed screen door. "What are you goin' on about, Junior?"

"Get your ass out here," Junior sneered. He was sitting on the front steps, leaning upwards towards the porch, peering up at Sheldon through blood that covered his face. One of his thick, muscular arms was cradling his own chest, wrapping around his ribs. "You fucking pussy."

The tips of Sheldon's' ears burned as a familiar sensation of hatred trickled all over his body. Against his better judgment, he pushed the front door open, heard it squeak on its old hinges, then stepped out into the summer air. Thunder cracked in the background, giving the cicadas singing in the grass a tempo to sing to. The sound of home. "You have something on your mind, Junior?"

"Why didn't you come to the fight tonight?" The older brother's breaths were labored, a wheezing noise coupled with a small moan each time he spoke.

He was obviously in pain, Sheldon could tell, but his pride had brought him straight back here to tussle with him instead of to the hospital where he belonged. "I have a train taking me to California early tomorrow morning. I have been packing all day. Plus, it didn't interest me."

"Does it interest your highness to know that two men tried to kill me tonight?"

Sheldon wanted to say no. He tried to say it, but the word died on his tongue. He was through caring about what kind of debauchery Junior got himself involved in anymore. Sheldon's life was just beginning. He wasn't going to waste it sitting around this place anymore. "Would you like for me to call an ambulance for you?"

Junior chuckled humorlessly. Then he rose from his sitting position, grasping the railing of the porch steps tightly to steady himself. Blood continued to pour from his face, where a thick gash had been cut along his temple and zigzagged down to his chin. "I want you to come at me."

"I'm sorry?"

"I said, fuckin' put your dukes up." Junior released his hold on his ribs and staggered up the steps until he was face-to-face with Sheldon on the porch. "Come on, Shelly. You been walking around your whole life with that shitty, higher-than-thou attitude. Let me bring you back down to earth." He accentuated his offer by bumping Sheldon's chest with his shoulder, driving him back until his back slammed into the house. Sheldon turned away from Junior to run inside, but before he could grab the door handle, Junior threw himself into Sheldon's back, sending both of the men flying through the screen door.

"Junior!" Missy began to shriek again, rushing out of her bedroom to watch her older brother topple onto her twin.

"Come on, Shelly," Junior grunted, sitting upright and straddling Sheldon as he flipped the younger man on his back. He cocked his fist and brought it hard down on Sheldon's jaw.

"Stop it!" Missy cried, her voice high and shrill.

Sheldon's eyes were wild as he felt the force of Junior's fist make contact with his chin. He blinked as shock overcame him then quickly left him as the blinding course of pain shot through every nerve ending on his face. He squirmed to get away from Junior and watched just in time for another blow to come hurtling towards him. This time he reacted, craning his head to the side and he felt the knuckles graze his ear accompanied by the sickening _crunch_ of Junior's fist pounding the cement beneath the cheap dollar store throw rug Mary Cooper had laid down on the floor.

"God damnit!" the older brother bellowed, clutching his fist to his chest as he continued to straddle Sheldon.

Conjuring another surge of energy, Sheldon bucked wildly under Junior's weight, catching him off-guard and flinging him off of his body. When Junior tried to pull himself back up, grabbing onto Sheldon's legs as he tried to get away, Sheldon swung his fist back until it made contact with Junior's nose. His brother yelped while Sheldon scrambled to his feet, backing away into a wall to get his bearings. His eyes were still unfocused, his jaw still screaming with pain, as his brother writhed on the floor, howling as he held his fist still, which was probably broken.

Sheldon licked his bottom lip and tasted the unmistakable metallic liquid he knew to be his own blood, and it ignited something dormant inside of him. He ran his thick tongue over his top and bottom row of teeth to make sure they were all still intact then unsteadily rose to his feet. He felt Missy rush to his side to help him up, but he shook her off angrily, ripping his arm from out of her grasp. He heard her begin to speak to him, to ask him to calm down, but soon the roaring buzz of his fury filled his ears, and he had no other mission, nothing else to do, than to grab the hot poker propped up beside the fireplace that Junior was laying in front of, and use it to slay his brother. He moved quickly, shooting his arm out to grab it, then held it up over his shoulder like a baseball bat. The energy that had been building up inside of him for six years, the resentment, the hurt, the fear that was brought on by his brother and Marky, hummed in his arms as they waited for Sheldon's neurotransmitters to deliver the message to his muscles to swing away.

"No!" Missy pleaded, keeping her distance in case Sheldon snapped and decided to use it on her. This cry of horror from his sister caused him to hesitate just long enough. He listened to the _clang_ of the poker falling to the ground, the grunts of his injured brother at his feet, the soft cries of his twin sister, and all he could think about was getting out of there. Every ounce of control he had ever possessed was now lost, somewhere out in the universe mocking him from afar. Right now, he didn't want to see Missy. He didn't want his mother to drop him off at the train station in the morning, nor did he want to kiss his Meemaw goodbye.

"I…" Sheldon began, his mouth hanging open slightly as he looked frantically from Missy to Junior and back again. "I'm leaving." He turned to retreat into his room to grab his bags, but stopped and whirled back around. He stomped over to Junior and stood over him, almost relishing the way his older brother flinched under his presence. "I never want to talk to you again. I never want to see your face again. And if you ever come near me again, one of us is going to need a coffin."

Junior followed Sheldon with wary eyes as he stalked to the back of his house, much to the protests of his sister, then emerged back into the living room with both of his duffle bags. The theoretical physicist threw one last scathing look at his brother before walking out the front door and never looked back.

Missy drove Junior to the emergency room later that night where he was treated for a broken rib and got his face stitched up. The two remaining Cooper siblings made sure the screen door was back on its hinges before Mary Cooper returned from Indian Bingo, but neither had an explanation as to why Mary's baby boy was already gone.

* * *

_Present day._

The squeaks of Penny's rubber soles as she jiggled her legs up and down on the tile echoed in the waiting area of the hospital where she found herself for the second time that day. She tried to calm herself down; Junior was out of surgery and was out of the woods, though still in critical condition. She had not been able to see him or Sheldon yet, as only one person at a time was allowed back in ICU. Sheldon had been back there for nearly an hour now. She was impatient and pulled out her cell phone to check the time. She noticed for the first time that day that she had unread text messages, but didn't open her inbox to see from who. She could have taken three wild guesses as to who they were from, but wouldn't need all three to know they were from Amy. Suddenly she ached for her friends. For some camaraderie, or some perspective. She hovered her thumb over the small screen and began to wander who she could call, who she could talk to that would even remotely understand the feelings that were bubbling up inside of her at the moment.

The day had been a roller coaster of events. First she witnessed Kurt get his ass beat by Rob, then came home and fought with Sheldon, then had amazing, mind-blowing sex with him, then not ten minutes later, opened her door to a half-dead Junior.

What the hell had Penny gotten herself into?

She backtracked a little, tracing her train of thought until it came back to Kurt. He wasn't too far from her at the moment, in fact, he was on the floor above. All she had to do was ask a nurse in his recovery wing which room he was in and she could talk to him. She couldn't stand the guy for all intents and purposes, but she still truly felt horrible about what happened to him today. Would it be too risky to go see him now, after all that has happened? Though she didn't know what exactly got into Junior today, she couldn't help but think that it was somehow all related. A chill ran through her body and she remember telling Sheldon earlier that she was scared that what happened to Kurt could happen to Junior, and even him.

Before her thoughts could go any further, she heard the double doors at the end of the hallway open and breathed a sigh of relief when Sheldon walked through them, coming straight for her. "Sheldon!" she called, waving him over to her. When he was a few feet away, she quickly closed the gap, running up to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing his body close to hers. He stood still for a second before conceding and placing both of his arms around her waist, allowing her to hold him. "How is he?" she asked, murmuring close to Sheldon's ear. She felt him fidget away from her slightly, then pull back, holding her at arm's length. His face looked saggy with tiredness, dark circles forming under his eyes, the stress of the last week catching up to him no doubt.

"He was stabbed, but the wound was hollow enough to avoid the puncture of a major organ. It was mostly artificial, but still hit a vein, thus the copious amounts of blood. His ribs were broken, but luckily puncturing an air hole was able to reverse any long term damage and his surgery was successful." Sheldon quietly added, "And his jaw is broken, so right now it's wired shut and he cannot speak." His eyes were round and quite sad, causing Penny to tear up.

"I am so sorry, sweetie," she whispered, softly pecking him on the cheek. She wanted to hold him close again, to fold him up and keep him safe somewhere with her, but he was standoffish, pensive. She didn't want to push him beyond the brink of sanity he had left. "Could he communicate at all? Maybe write down what happened to him?"

"He could, but he won't."

"I'm sorry?" Penny blurted, totally confused. "He won't communicate?"

"He's completely lucid but refuses to write anything down but stupid remarks to get under my skin," Sheldon muttered, suddenly taking on the demeanor of a small boy who was just told he couldn't have any sweets before dinner. "He won't tell me what happened to him, who did this to him, or even where your car is."

"Well," Penny started, her eyebrows furrowing. "That doesn't make any sense. Can't the police make him talk?"

"This hospital isn't required to report his injuries since they fall short of a gunshot wound. He could have just as easily obtained his abrasions and broken bones by falling down a flight of stairs or through a window, and he knows this. I swear, he's keeping mum on purpose. When I asked him who did this to him, he wrote down, _'Didn't get a good look. Had to be an ex-girlfriend. Whoever it was hits like a bitch'_. He's being impossible." Sheldon's hands were on his hips as he looked down at Penny, searching her face for the answers that she didn't have. She was just about to suggest that maybe she could go talk to him and sort this mess out when Sheldon's face hardened. "I want to go talk to Kurt."

"What? Why?"

"I have a feeling Marky did this to Junior," Sheldon started as he turned on his heels and began to walk down the hall towards the elevators. "And Kurt knows where I can find Marky." He punched the up arrow by the elevator door and the _ding_ followed shortly thereafter. He stepped onto the elevator's platform as Penny followed him.

"Sheldon, no," she said fiercely, her voice lowering to a whisper. "You don't need to be knocking down doors looking for that monster. You promised me-"

"He almost killed my brother, Penny."

"And what, you want to be next?" She met Sheldon's eyes as the elevator closed and the shaft lifted them up to the above floor. They were silent until the doors swished open again, revealing Kurt's hospital wing.

"This has to end sooner rather than later," Sheldon said as he walked down the hall towards the nurse's station. "I have to put a stop to this before Marky finds out you're involved. He already got his hands on my brother, and that's too close to home."

"Listen to me!" Penny tried to swipe at Sheldon's arm but he was moving too quickly, his long legs taking goliath strides as she struggled to keep up. "Sheldon, please, you promised me you wouldn't face Marky. Junior and Kurt already racked up more injuries than I can take, please, don't put yourself in harm's way."

Sheldon finally slowed his pace and then stopped, turning to face Penny as she walked up to him. "I told my brother eight years ago, the night I last saw him, that the next time we met, one of us was going to need a coffin." His voice broke and the cleft between his bottom lip and chin trembled. "I said it to make him stay away from me. It was a warning. And until tonight, I didn't know how true it was."

"Sheldon, there was no way you could have known…" Penny croaked, reaching out to touch her friend, but he shied away from her hand.

"Penny," Sheldon said quickly in a hushed tone, cutting her off. "I truly wish I hadn't gotten you involved. And I know what I promised you. But I'm going to find out what happened to my brother, with or without his help. I have a feeling a pretty good place to start is by interrogating your ex-boyfriend."

"Then I'm coming with you," she said, her eyes twinkling in defiance. She dared him with her intense stare to argue, and if he had the fight left in him, he chose not to summon it. Instead, he reached down and pulled her arm towards him until her body slammed into his and he brought his mouth down to her lips, brushing them softly with his own. After they broke apart, he nodded at her then they continued down the hall hand in hand to the nurse's station. Penny knew they were all in now. And there was no turning back. Whatever happened to Junior was the lit wicker that had begun a slow burn of events. She didn't know if they would make it out unharmed, but she knew a thing or two about family loyalty. Sheldon wasn't the type of man to outwardly care for anyone but himself, but with the arrival of his brother, a new side had begun to show. Or maybe this was the real Sheldon Cooper, and his concrete walls built of self-esteem and science were the act.

"Excuse me, what room is Kurt Hendricks in?" Sheldon asked the nurse at the desk, catching Penny by surprise. She was wondering how he knew his last name, but then remembered Sheldon and Leonard had once been to Kurt's apartment building to try and collect her TV first, then back again a few years later for some money that he owed her. Kurt's full name was on the plate near the buzzer outside of the building.

"Hendricks, Hendricks," the older African-American woman behind the desk typed away on her computer, searching for Kurt's room. "Mr. Hendricks left this afternoon."

Penny's heart beat sped up as she felt Sheldon's hand slip from hers. "I'm sorry. Did you say that he left?" Sheldon asked.

"Yes, this afternoon," the nurse replied. "He left against medical advice."

* * *

Sheldon was running on empty.

Between finding out that Kurt had fled the premises against the advice of his doctors, and Junior not giving up any information that would help Sheldon in understanding what exactly happened that day, he was spent. He didn't want to leave his brother in the hospital, not knowing who or what was out to get him, but he needed sleep. He was missing his precious circadian rhythms that had been diminished since the night Junior arrived. So he allowed Penny to call them a cab and take them home.

After a long, hot shower, he changed into his Tuesday night pajamas. The prospect of even a slight amount of routine, like having his Tuesday BBQ burger at the Cheesecake Factory, was long gone as he found himself in the kitchen, fixing a sandwich to fuel him since it had been hours since he last ate. The apartment was chilly, just the way he liked it, but for the first time since Leonard had left, he was feeling the effects of loneliness. After the cab had dropped Penny and Sheldon off at the apartment, he had asked to be alone, promising her that he wouldn't do anything stupid like go out and search for Marky or Kurt. To be honest, Sheldon didn't feel like he had anything left in him. He felt helpless, out of control, and so very tired. He wolfed down the turkey sandwich in three bites and washed it down with a tall glass of apple juice. Turning the light out, he made his way to his bedroom. Opening the door, he saw that his sheets were for the second time, tossed carelessly around the bed, hanging off the mattress after the throws of coitus had been performed there. His body gave a shiver and he thought about his promise to Penny that night. That he wouldn't, in her words, _'do anything stupid'_. But he realized that asking to be alone was the stupidest thing he could have done that day.

He turned on his heels and fled his apartment, shutting the door behind him. When he turned, he saw that Penny's door was wide open. His heart froze, and just as a frenzied _Penny!_ made its way up his throat, she appeared in the doorway. "Hey," she greeted softly. Her hands were covered in rubber dish-washing gloves, and she was carrying a bucket of soapy water. "What's up?"

"What are you doing, Penny?" Sheldon asked, eyeing her carefully.

"I was cleaning up the blood from the floor," she said after a moment's hesitation, her eyes avoiding Sheldon's face. "I'm sorry, was I being too loud?" She placed the bucket down on the floor that was now wiped clean of any trace of Junior's blood. Sheldon suddenly turned red, embarrassed by his thoughtlessness. He should have been helping Penny clean it up. And then the weight of what he involved her in and just how much she meant to him came crashing down on his head like a caved-in roof.

There were no words to say. Instead, he crossed the threshold and closed Penny's door with one arm while the other wrapped around her waist, pulling her to him. "Let's go to bed," he whispered before placing a tender kiss on Penny's collarbone. He followed up by tracing another kiss on her neck, then her chin, then ended on her mouth. She leaned into him, purring at his touch. His hand immediately raised until it grasped her breast, thumbing a hardened nipple until he felt his own body swell in unison. He needed this, he craved it. The soft curves of her body at his disposal, beneath his hands that felt so powerless until they held her. It elated him. Sheldon needed a little bit of height after feeling so low.

They tumbled into her bedroom where he laid Penny down on her sheets, thrust himself into her, and took flight.

* * *

**A/N pt 2: Don't try Sheldon's MacGyver maneuver on Junior's ribs at home, kids! **

**Chapter 15 is in the works. ;]**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Thank you all so much for your feedback and support! XOXO **

**Alright, we're rounding out to the end, folks. As you all already know, this is obviously a very OOC Sheldon we're dealing with, but try to keep an open mind. Even IC "sitcom" Sheldon is human, and as for every human in existence, when faced with difficult situations, we find out who we truly are. **

**Sorry if this one is a bit short, but it's the last piece of the puzzle until the picture becomes complete. It will not fit with the movement planned for the last few chapters, so it serves as a stand-alone. Shutting up now-Enjoy chapter 15!**

* * *

_Kurt's instructions had been precise. _

_Junior parked Penny's car a few blocks away from gym, careful to keep it out of sight. He locked the doors and set off on foot towards The Golden Glove, where Kurt said Marky would be. It was his second home. _

_He slipped into the entrance, removing his sunglasses as his eyes adjusted under the florescent lights. He nodded at the clerk at the front desk, a middle-aged balding man reclined in a leather chair, reading an issue of _Hustler_. Not much of a gatekeeper, he realized. He kept close to the wall, internally following the direction in which Kurt told him to move. When he was on the opposite side of the building, he saw the brown metal door with a brass knob. Turning the knob quickly, he took a deep breath and allowed himself through the door, shutting it behind him. A flight of steps was the only option, so he descended them slowly, peering into the dimly lit stairwell and paused every few steps. _

_He should have known then and there that this was a bad idea. He was alone, armed only with his fury. When he reached the end of the stairs, there was one more door to walk through. On the other side of it, he heard the unmistakable sounds of fists flying and meeting a gym bag. The cacophonous curses of the red-haired man who had once been his best friend and ally as he yelled at whomever he was training to _hit harder! jab quicker! protect your neck!

_It was now or never, and Junior had decided now. He flung open the door and came face-to-face with the man whom he had dreamed of killing for a decade. _

"_I do believe in spooks!" Marky crowed, not the least bit troubled by Junior's sudden appearance in his underground training area after all these years. "Look, Rick! It's ol' George Cooper, back from the dead!" _

_The man he was training turned away from his punching bag and looked dead straight at Junior, causing him to lose his bearings. It took him several moments to recognize who it was, but by the time he did, it was already too late. Two men advanced on him and on Marky's word, they attacked. And this time, Junior did not stagger away victorious. As he lied on the ground, battered and bleeding and struggling to keep conscious, Marky walked over to him and leaned down, hovering just above his face. "I've been training Rick for a few months now. It's funny you show up here actually, when we were so close to coming to pay a visit to you." He sneered down at Junior, his pale face twisting into an ugly grimace. "He wants payback. But not just on you. On that freak brother of yours." _

_Junior's eyes narrowed in fury and he tried to speak, but Marky straightened out and gave a swift kick to his ribs, the pain silencing Junior for good. _

"_You tell Shelly where to find us. We're ready." _

_Marky's men were ordered to dump Junior in the street when they were through with him, and he had just enough energy to drag himself into Penny's car and drive like hell to Sheldon so he could warn him. But in fear of being followed, he left Penny's car in an alley a block away from the apartment and walked the rest of the way, unwilling to lead Marky or his men straight to them._

_Because of Junior's foolish decision to try and sneak up on his enemy, Marky now knew Sheldon would come looking for him. And he had a hell of a surprise waiting for him when he finally found him._

* * *

They tumbled in a circle, cocooning themselves in Penny's sheets with her on top of him, their naked bodies pressed together in the most intimate way. The only light was the faint outline of the nearly closed bathroom door.

"I won't ever get tired of this," Penny said, nudging Sheldon's long neck with her nose and placed a wet kiss in the soft crease between his throat and collarbone, where his skin was warmest. He was silent, his chest rising and lowering at a rapid pace beneath Penny's breasts. She could tell he was still trying to catch his breath after their latest act. Her hands were wrapped around Sheldon's waist, and his were very casually gripping her rear.

"I'm not as young as I once was, Penny," he finally breathed, blowing strands of her hair that had fallen onto his nose and mouth out of the way. "Although I find the idea of achieving orgasm as often as possible ideal, my back and limbs aren't limber enough to hoist you up like I just did fifteen minutes ago on a daily basis." He added a moment later, "Up until two days ago, I never though the idea of achieving orgasm as often as possible would be anything I could ever find interest in."

"Really? You?" Penny feigned shock.

"Really," he answered, oblivious as always to her sarcasm. "And up until five days ago, I thought I knew who I was."

Penny bit her lip at the low tone his voice had taken. "What do you mean?"

"I have always found you sexually attractive, Penny," Sheldon began carefully. Penny kept her face wedged in his neck and he stared up at the ceiling, studying it as though it would supply him his next lines. "But had never processed feeling anything for you beyond the need to take the occasional second look when you wore something particularly revealing. Let's face it; hearing you talk about the trivial adventures about your trips to the mall and cow-tipping back in Nebraska wasn't exactly up my alley."

"We need to work on your pillow talk, sweetie."

Sheldon ignored her. "But I always knew there was more to you than that. You're very kind, Penny. And patient, especially with me." She fidgeted, letting a smile breach her face as she looked up at Sheldon. He didn't return the stare, but pursed his lips, suppressing his own grin. "I'm a little more observant than my circle of friends give me credit for."

"You're kind, too, Sheldon," she whispered. "In your own strange way."

He was quiet for a moment before he continued. "In the last few days, I have truly come to realize how much you mean to me. How much you've always meant to me." His hands caressed her backside, breathing life into Penny's lower stomach.

"I feel the same." She exhaled as Sheldon placed a chaste kiss on her forehead. It was sweet and overwhelming all at once. Penny was trying to process it over the guilt she felt. Right now, there were a group of people, their friends, that Sheldon and her were deceiving. But she couldn't deny that even after every moment Leonard had poured his heart out to her, it never affected her the way Sheldon was doing so right now. She snuggled closer to him, breathing him in.

"I asked you not to think differently of me after this," he continued, lowering his voice. "After Junior and I do what we had to do, and you promised you wouldn't. And after half the things you've seen and heard, I would have expected anyone else to have left me by now." He took a deep breath and when he exhaled, Penny felt his heart pound hard against her chest. "I wouldn't blame you for walking away. You wouldn't be the first friend I've ever had that cut their losses and left."

Penny's stomach fluttered and she raised her head, staring at Sheldon's milky skin in the dark. "Sheldon, I told you I wouldn't leave you." She pulled her hands out from behind his back and brought them up to the sides of his face, making him look at her. "Don't you believe me?"

"Of course I do, Penny." He closed his eyes. "But my brother is hurt. Now, I'll have to take matters into my own hands."

"Sheldon," Penny started, struggling to loosen the sheets around them so she could straddle his stomach and look down at him. When she was upright, she placed her two palms flat on his chest. "Do you think that maybe…maybe it's time for you to walk away now?" She watched as his eyes went wide and he stared at her as if she had sprouted another head. "I heard you tell Junior the first night he got here that he could just walk away from all of this - "

"I was wrong."

"How?"

"Marky is a monster, Penny, and I feel it a bit redundant to have to remind you of this, being that you saw for your own eyes what he did to Kurt, and what I'm assuming he did to Junior." Sheldon shifted under Penny, motioning for her to get off of him. She complied, slightly hurt, and watched as Sheldon wrapped the sheet around his body and flipped on her bedside lamp. "The man needs to be stopped. And more importantly, he needs to pay for what he did to Junior. To my family."

"So what are you going to do?" she asked carefully.

"I'll face him myself."

Penny felt the temperature in the room drop and goosebumps peppered her skin. "No, you will not." She didn't recognize her voice at first, and only realized that it was her who spoke when Sheldon turned and acknowledged her with wide eyes.

"I've told you before, fighting is physics. And I know physics."

"This isn't some equation you can scratch on your whiteboard and study, Sheldon," Penny's voice became shriller as her panic rose. "You can't face Marky. He is a trained fighter."

"With my help," Sheldon protested, meeting Penny's eye. "Junior isn't the only one I've created and choreographed moves for. I know Marky more than he knows himself. I can anticipate every move he makes." His gaze was now on the floor, avoiding Penny as he licked his lips, formulating a plan in his head.

"Sheldon," Penny tried again, placing her open palm on his bare back. "We don't even know that Marky did this to Junior. Don't you think he would have told you?"

"I know for a fact this was Marky's doing and it is because Junior didn't tell me that I'm sure." Sheldon focused back on Penny's face, his expression stone cold. "He wouldn't want me to face the bastard on my own, but I see now that there is no other way."

They were silent for a moment before Penny pressed on. "I think maybe you should learn to let this go so no one else gets hurt. So _you_ don't get hurt." As soon as the words left her mouth, she wished she could gather them all up and stuff them back inside her stupid mouth. She flinched when Sheldon stood up on his feet, taking the sheets with him. He turned around and looked down at her as she sat on the bed.

"Sure, Penny," he said, his tone raising and his nostrils flaring. "I should just let it go. Let bygones be bygones. I'll let Junior sit in his hospital bed and wait for him to get better, then tell him the good news. All of his injuries are in vain." Finally dropping the sheet, Sheldon began walking around the room, gathering his clothes. When he found his flannel PJ pants, he yanked them on and began muttering to himself so quietly that Penny didn't understand him. She felt her own irritation begin to build up inside of her.

"Where are you going?" she demanded.

"It's late. In order to achieve a sufficient amount of sleep tonight, I need to go be in my own bed with my own thoughts."

"Are you seriously upset with me that I'm asking you to let this go?" He remained silent, stepping inside of his slippers at the foot of Penny's bed. "Sheldon!"

"I'm not upset with you, Penny," he finally answered. He hovered at her door, half of his body in her room and half out, still topless since he had not found his shirt that was somewhere on her bedroom floor. "I just know what I have to do."

"You promised me." She felt her bottom lip quiver as she reached for her tank top that was on the floor. She pulled it over her head and looked up at Sheldon. "You promised me that you wouldn't do this."

"The circumstances have drastically changed – "

"Fuck the circumstances!" Penny pulled on her shorts and was now on her feet. She walked closer to Sheldon. "I can't stand by and let you do this."

"You can't stop me," Sheldon said quietly, his eyes still looking everywhere but her.

"Then I'm going with you." She walked over to her closet and began yanking clothes off of their hangers, tossing them onto the bed.

"What are you doing?" Sheldon asked, exasperated.

"I'm getting dressed so we can go do whatever it is you need to do." She grabbed the pair of jeans she threw on the bed and changed out of her shorts, slipping the denim on in place.

"You're not coming with me. It's too dangerous."

"You know, I'm getting real goddamn tired of you telling me what's too dangerous for me." She walked away from him, heading out of her bedroom and into her kitchen. When she reached the island in front of her refrigerator, she reached into the cabinets and yanked out an aluminum bat. She turned to see that he had followed her, watching her carefully as he stood near her couch. "You think you're the only one who's ever been in a fight?" She pressed the tip of the bat to the floor, leaning on it like a cane.

"Good Lord," Sheldon sighed with a roll of his eyes. He crossed the room and met her in the kitchen then pulled the bat from her grasp in one swift movement. "That's enough, Penny."

"Give me my bat." She narrowed her eyes at Sheldon as he towered over her and held the bat behind his back. When he didn't listen, she grabbed at the air, trying to get around his body to take it from him. He was playing keep away with her only home protection weapon, and she blew air through her nostrils like a bull. At this point, Penny knew she was being childish. But she was tired of Sheldon acting as though she were some delicate flower when in all honesty she thought she would survive more rounds in the ring with Marky than he would. So she brought up her hands, placed them flat on Sheldon's bare chest, and pushed him with all her might.

"Hey!" His eyes widened as he flailed back, barely catching his balance in time before he collided with her refrigerator. The bat clattered to the tiled floor behind him.

"I told you to give me back my bat," Penny warned. She met Sheldon's glare with matching intensity. They were silent for a moment, basking in the discomfort and palpable anger that wafted around them. When she felt like her point was made, that she had shown him that there was nothing delicate about Penny at all, she took two steps towards her bat and bent to pick it up, feeling Sheldon's eyes on her the whole time. She wrapped her fingers around the handle and was about to straighten her back when she saw Sheldon's long arm shoot out and smack her wrist, causing her to drop the bat back to the floor.

Before she could process another thought, she felt both of Sheldon's strong hands grab either side of her waist, gripping her tight and pulling her to him. "Let me go," she muttered, her back to still him. Her heart rate picked up slightly when Sheldon didn't say a word and only gripped her tighter. She was about to bring her hands down to pry his fingers off of her hips when he whirled her around and pushed her against the island. "Hey!" she cried, echoing Sheldon's sentiment from her surprise attack. He pushed against her, his lower body firmly attached to her lower back. When she turned her neck to try and look at him, he grabbed a fist of her hair, just the way she liked it, and gave a gentle tug. He controlled her neck now and made her face forward as he leaned into her, pressing harder while he bent her slightly over her counter top.

"You've always been so thick-headed," he drawled near her ear, his voice just above a whisper. A whole new rash of goosebumps trailed down her skin that was exposed around her tank top as his breath washed over her. "There's a saying we have down in Texas." He let go of her hair and brought his hand down, firmly attaching it to her waist, pinning her against the counter and his body. The other hand ran over her neck and squeezed her shoulder. He removed his lower body from her before continuing. "A hard head makes a soft behind." He barely finished his sentence before Penny heard the _smack_ ring in her ears, then very quickly thereafter felt the sting on her ass.

"Sheldon!" she hollered, her body temperature rising by the second. She braced herself on the counter, daring a look back at him. "You just…spanked me."

"Indeed," Sheldon answered simply. He returned his crotch to her bottom that was still tingling. He groaned and pressed his very obvious erection into her. "Do you object?"

She wanted to say yes. She wanted him to let her go, except she didn't. Still angry from his earlier insinuation that she was weak, she tried to be strong and hold her ground. But when she formed the words to say _yes_, instead, she breathed, "No." Then her hands were at her fly, unbuttoning and pulling down the zipper. Sheldon did the rest of the work, yanking the jeans down until they were around her knees, then he lowered his own PJ pants, exposing his flesh to hers. He moaned loudly, his member growing stiffer by the second as he grinded between the softness of her rear end.

Her bones turned to jelly as she gripped the wooden sides of the counter. She felt nothing except the heat radiating off of Sheldon as he brought both of his hands down to cup her cheeks then slid down to the backs of her legs, slightly spreading her thighs apart. "Now," she pleaded as he nudged the tip of his dick into her opening. She hadn't been taken in this position in so long, she could cry at how satisfying just the anticipation alone felt. But she didn't have to wait long before Sheldon plunged into her, causing her to growl his name. And she moved back onto him, not letting him do all the work on his own. He rocked back and forth, supporting her as she bounced in rhythm to his thrusts. He brought one hand up to grasp her hair again at the base of her neck, and the other felt around until it found her breast, palming it desperately as they raced to the finish.

"I'm almost there," she cried as a warning for him to slow down, it was coming to an end way too fast. But her body was calling and the fire in her abdomen roared as Sheldon continued to pump into her, his whimpers like music to her ears. And before she knew it, she was speaking in tongues, thrashing her head back and coming harder than ever before. Sheldon surged right behind her, holding his grip on her blonde, silky hair as he filled her to the brim with his release.

Words failed them both as they struggled to regain their breaths, Sheldon's hips bucking still as the remnants of his orgasm rolled through his body. He finally slowed and slipped out of her, still leaning over her as she laid her upper body flat on the counter. "I love you, Penny."

If the roof was to cave in, or the couch behind them was to spontaneously catch fire, Penny would have never noticed. Her ears popped as if she were ascending into the clouds on board an aircraft. She turned in Sheldon's arms until she was facing him, her arms extending until they were around his neck. His blue eyes never looked clearer.

Nothing had ever been _more_ clearer.

"I love you too, Sheldon." She pulled his neck down until his lips hovered over hers, then she closed the gap, kissing him with more feeling than she ever thought possible.

* * *

Junior lied flat on his back in the dark, breathing evenly through his nose as he waited for the pain medication to kick in. The soreness in his ribs and his head was loud like an alarm, bright like headlights. The orthodontic brackets that were surgically inserted to wire his broken jaw made every crevice of his mouth sear with pain. He could barely move his lips and communicate very little with the nurses. But they warned him it would be a few weeks before he could have the wiring removed and be able to functionally speak once again.

But in a few weeks it would be too late.

He had seen the veil of realization fall over Sheldon's face when he was standing over his bed, begging Junior to tell him what happened. And Junior fought it. He tried telling Sheldon he didn't remember. That he didn't know. But all his little brother had to do was look into his eyes and he would know that this was Marky's doing.

Junior screwed up. He jumped the gun. And his actions would now send Sheldon to fight his battle for him. The fact that Junior had landed himself in this hospital bed made it all worse. Tears accumulated in his bloodshot eyes as he idled helplessly. He knew Sheldon would go after Marky. And there was nothing Junior could do about it.

Unless…

He buzzed for his night nurse and moments later she appeared in his room.

"It's only 4:00 AM, hun. You can't have more meds until 6 o'clock." She walked further into the room, noticing that he was waving her over. She leaned over his bed as he painfully moved his lips and asked for the pen and paper near his bed. Then he wrote down exactly who he wanted the nurse to call, and what she needed to say when they answered.

* * *

Sheldon slipped out of Penny's bed and gathered his clothes in the dark, careful not to make any loud noises that would stir her. She snored loudly, and flipped onto her stomach, oblivious to anything besides her dreams, and Sheldon took a moment to be in her presence for a few more seconds. Then he made himself leave.

After he showered and changed into his clothes, he wrote a quick letter explaining his absence to Penny as a matter of business with the University that could not wait until he returned back to work on Monday. He wrote that he would be back this afternoon and that he preferred she stayed put until he returned. He hoped like hell she would comply. Then he left the letter on the couch cushion in his spot.

The cab he had ordered before showering was waiting downstairs for him. He slipped into the backseat and asked the driver to take him to East Hollywood, The Golden Glove gym. On the drive, he thought of Penny and his confession that he loved her. He truly did. Never had he felt this way for anyone. And he would never let her get hurt as long as he was alive.

Then he thought of the past and what brought him here. He thought of Junior, lying in pain at the hospital. He thought of Rachel, wherever she was now, and how he had wronged her by scouting her brother and preparing Junior with the moves that ultimately led to him gravely injure Rick, an act she never forgave him for, as he had never forgave himself.

He couldn't change the past, but maybe he could rectify it.

He checked his watch and saw that it was a little after 8:00 AM. If Marky wasn't at the gym when Sheldon arrived, he would wait for him. He had nothing but time.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: First - You guys are amazing. To my new and old reviewers alike: your feedback touches me, honestly. For taking a chance on this badass version of Sheldon and a strong, loyal Penny and allowing them to entertain you, I will be forever grateful!**

**Second - In real life, I have a full-time job where I'm in charge of a bunch of whiny people and I go to college full-time. Before I knew it, almost a week had gone by and I hadn't had time to sit and breathe let alone write this chapter! Sorry for the delay. Buckle your seatbelts, here comes chapter 16! Enjoy!**

* * *

_Eight years earlier. _

Junior was in the kitchen, wearing a pair of low-hanging jeans and the brace wrapped in gauze around his broken ribs, nothing else. He angrily swept through the cupboards for an empty glass. He grabbed one and slammed the cupboard door shut, then turned to the sink and twisted the faucet on. He waited impatiently as tap water filled the glass and shoved two of his 250-miligram Hydrocodone pain pills into his mouth. He drank thirstily, washing the pills down, then turned off the faucet and placed the glass at the bottom of the sink. He had half the mind to toss it across the kitchen just to hear it shatter on the opposite wall, create some noise to interrupt the wretched silence in his head. The house was so quiet without Sheldon here to fill it with his nonsense about science and why tap water filled with small amounts of fluoride was more harmful then the American Dental Association had led on.

He clenched the glass again and was poised to throw it, not concerned about waking up Missy or his mom, but then heard a scratching noise on the side of the house where all the bedrooms were situated. He placed the glass down on the counter and grabbed the first handle he saw in front of him; a recently washed, large carving knife. Gripping it tightly, he treaded quietly to the back rooms. He turned towards Sheldon's now empty room, where the scratching was the loudest. The bedroom door was wide open; Sheldon hadn't even bothered to close it let alone switch off the light when he stormed out like a bat out of hell a few hours earlier. Using the wall as his cover, Junior peered into the room, watching the window. His heart was crashing against his broken ribs, causing him to wince. Then he saw the window screen pop off the frame and crash to the ground outside. Flashbacks from his earlier attack behind the barn exploded in his mind and he felt fear trickle down his spine. But he ignored the fear, held his breath, and crossed the room in three quick strides. He leaned out of the open window and raised the steak knife high, ready to slash the neck of any intruder he saw.

"Jesus, Junior, what happened to you?"

Junior's eyes took a moment to adjust to the darkness outside, but with the bedroom light pouring out from behind him, he was able to see the wide, chocolate brown eyes of Rachel crouched in front of the bushes just below Sheldon's window. "Rachel? What the fuck are you doin'?" He lowered the knife, but his grip remained tight on the handle.

Rachel's eyes narrowed at his weapon before she stood up straight and brushed the dirt off of her jeans. "I am here to see Sheldon. What the fuck are _you_ doin'?"

"I was about to gut you like a fish," Junior muttered. "I thought you were someone trying to break in. You ever hear of a door bell?"

"I didn't want to wake your momma."

"Jesus," Junior said. "Go 'round the front and meet me on the porch." He pulled himself inside before adding, "And put that goddamn screen back on." He turned and shut off the light as he heard Rachel fiddling with the window screen, then closed Sheldon's door behind him. He waited for a few seconds to listen for any commotion coming from his mom or Missy's rooms, and when he heard none, he walked to the front door and slipped outside quietly. A moment later, Rachel came around the house, dressed in her signature tight blue jeans and leather jacket over a black tank top, even though it was warm out. She walked slowly to the porch steps where she stopped and leaned against the railing.

"Where's Sheldon?"

"He's not here."

"It's true?" she asked, a hitch in her voice. "He left to California?"

Junior was quiet as he lay the kitchen knife down on the porch swing next to him. He eyed Rachel, a woman he hadn't seen in almost two years, since the night he severely injured her brother Rick in a fixed match. He reeled back saliva and spit it out, watching it fly over the porch railing and into the bushes. When Rachel got the hint he wasn't going to answer, she sighed.

"I just wanted to say goodbye."

"You haven't said a word to my brother in two years, why are you here now?"

"What happened to you?" Rachel ignored his question and instead repeated her own. "Who kicked your ass?"

Junior's skepticism was mixed with fury. The men who attacked him had been people he had done business with before. He was almost 100% sure that Marky had sent them to rob him of his winnings. Then again, Rachel and Rick were sore with him too, after he had so badly beaten the latter, causing him to stop fighting for awhile to nurse his wounds, rehabilitate his injuries. The two bonehead siblings could have just as easily been behind the attack from earlier that night.

His profession was not entirely honorable, just as Sheldon had put it not so long ago. He had made plenty of enemies in his life, and now that his only ally, his little brother, was gone, Junior suddenly felt more alone than he ever had in his life. More alone than when his father died (though the old man had not been much of a role model once he had a beer in his hands), more alone than when he sat in a juvenile detention cell. He stared Rachel down until she squirmed beneath his eyes, then he took a step towards her. "Why don't you tell me?"

"What are you talking about?" she asked, her expression twisted with confusion.

"You send some goons after me?" Junior asked, advancing closer to her as she took a tentative step back. "Maybe your brother did it?" Her dirty blonde hair blew in the wind and she smoothed the strands behind her ear while swallowing hard.

"Junior," Rachel whispered in a warning tone. She reached into her jacket pocket and yanked out a small bottle of Mace. "You come any closer, and I'll empty this bottle all over your face and won't lose a wink of sleep tonight." Junior slowed and settled instead for a menacing glare. Rachel took the opportunity to speak, slipping the can of Mace back into her jacket. "I don't know what happened to you tonight, but it doesn't have anything to do with me and my family. I just came here to talk to Sheldon."

"How did you hear about California?" Junior asked, suddenly concerned with who else might know about where Sheldon was heading. The last thing he wanted was for Marky to hear about it.

"I saw Missy at the mall today and we caught up a little. She told me he was leaving in the morning."

"Rachel, just go on home. Sheldon's not here, so I'm sorry to say that you came for nothing. And don't tell anyone about Sheldon going to California. He wouldn't want that." Junior was tired, the pain medication was doing nothing for the throbbing ache in his chest, and he wanted nothing else to do with the world tonight. He turned his back on Rachel before she stopped him, placing a hand on his bare back. He whirled around, startled by her touch.

"I won't tell anyone. But can you give him a message for me?" she asked, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. Junior was not one for dramatics, but he nodded anyway. She didn't need to know that Sheldon had made it clear he didn't want anything to do with Junior anymore and that her message may never be relayed to him. But he let her have her moment. "Can you tell him that I'm really sorry? About turning my back on him. Tell him I don't blame him about what happened to Rick…I know that it was you, and that son of a bitch Marky, who forced him into spotting fights. You both forced him into becoming some cold-blooded machine instead of letting him become the man he was destined to be - "

"And what kind of man was he _destined _to be?" Junior interrupted fiercely. He wanted to take offense to her accusation, but nothing had ever been truer.

"A man capable of loving me as much as I loved him," she croaked, her voice hoarse with sorrow. She drew in a couple of deep breaths as Junior marveled at her very naked pain. She blinked back tears and lowered her gaze to the ground. "And if he ever feels lonely out west, he has a friend he can call. Maybe you can give him my number? He can call me, or text me, whatever. I just miss him, that's all. And tell him I'm sorry it took me two years to finally say it, but I don't hate him." She tucked both of her hands into her back jean pockets and hung her head. "I always hated _you_ for what you did to my brother, George Jr. But Sheldon saw something in you, I guess. Something that made him stick around, something that kept him from leaving you. Everything he did, he didn't do it for Marky. He did it because he thought you were worth hanging around for. I hope he was right." She turned around and started to walk off into the street.

"He hated me too, Rachel," Junior heard himself call after her. She paused then looked over her shoulder. "He hated me for what I did to Rick. He hated himself. So I'm sorry. To you, your brother, and to Sheldon." The silence stretched between them, except for the crickets chirping low in the grass and cars driving in the distance. After a moment, Rachel nodded then continued on her path. Junior walked back up his porch steps then hesitated when he heard Rachel call out to him one more time.

"Missy has my number; she'll give it to you. Use it anytime."

* * *

_Present day._

Penny's nightmare left her trembling as her eyes flew open. Without a window in her bedroom, it was hard to tell exactly what time of day it was, as her room was still completely dark. She turned her head sideways and saw that her bedroom door was closed. In that moment she realized Sheldon was gone. She sat up slowly, rubbing her temples as the harsh images of her dream faded into obscurity. She felt sore all over like she had just woken up after a long night of drinking, but the only thing she had consumed in the last few hours was Sheldon. After their rough escapade in her kitchen, they moved it to the bedroom where things had not slowed down in the least bit. She remembered passing out after a few rounds, but never felt Sheldon make a move to leave. She bit her bottom lip and finally climbed out of bed, gingerly as her limbs were sore, and went to the bathroom for a quick shower.

When she emerged from the steam-filled bathroom ten minutes later and Sheldon had still not returned, panic set in. She reached for her cell phone and saw no missed messages or calls from him. She dressed quickly into a pair of jean shorts and a flower-patterned sleeveless blouse, her wet, messy hair abruptly pulled into a messy bun. She opened her bedroom door and saw she was alone. Panic was now mixing in with irritation as she opened her apartment door, grabbed her emergency key to 4A in the bowl on the stand near her door, then headed over, unlocking the Sheldon's door with a huff. The place was empty, but her eyes went directly to the sheet of paper with a neatly written letter lying on top of Sheldon's spot. She read it without truly processing anything except for Sheldon's insistence that she stay home and breathing suddenly became a problem.

The next thing she knew, she was flying back into her apartment and reaching for her purse. When she grabbed the strap and pulled the bag off her couch, the first thing she noticed was how light the it was. She dropped it back on her cushion and looked inside to find that her wallet with her driver's license, credit cards, and cash was missing. She growled in frustration when she realized that her car was still at an undisclosed location courtesy of Junior. And that Sheldon had taken every precaution to make sure she didn't have the money to pay for a cab.

"Emergency at the University my ass," she whispered, trying to hold back her tears. Her only option was to call for a cab and then try to flirt with the cab driver to let her have a free ride. Or run like hell before he could call the cops on her for ditching. Penny pulled the cell phone from her pocket and contemplated the screen, wondering who she could call. She felt as though she was thrashing in deep water. How could Sheldon leave her feeling so helpless? And where the hell did he go? As she pieced the puzzle together, she knew there was only one place where he could've gone.

The nightmares from which she had just woken were very quickly becoming reality.

She looked at her phone again. Maybe she could call Bernadette? She would ask her to drop her off at the gym, and not to say a word to anyone. She thought back at all the times Bernadette was asked to keep a secret but failed horribly. Penny figured she'd be better off walking to East Hollywood herself. But there was no time. Maybe if she went to the hospital where Junior was, she could borrow money from him. Could she make it there in time? Not if she walked.

"Fuck!" Penny cried, her hands flying to her face. She cursed herself for not having money stashed away for a rainy day. Sheldon had constantly chastised her for spending her tips from the Cheesecake Factory on frivolous things like shoes when she should be accumulating a savings in case she ever got herself into another tight spot and was unable to pay for rent or her electricity. Like years ago, when she borrowed money from him and almost lost her mind with guilt and pressure for not being able to pay him back right away.

She frowned and brought her hands away from her face. She turned and faced her door which was still open and looked into apartment 4A. She hurried over and went straight for the book case lining the south wall of the living room. Scanning the shelf with her eyes, she pulled the first action figure she saw, the Green Lantern. The figure was 12 inches tall and made of shiny plastic and she figured it was probably worth a lot of money, but in her current state, she was in no mood to be careful. So she tossed the figure to the floor as hard as she could and it broke in half. She fell to her knees and went through the pieces; the lower abdomen held what she was looking for. She saw a tightly coiled $10 bill along with a note bound to it by a rubber band. She yanked the note off the bill and read it:

_Sheldon: _

_I.O.U. $100 as of 11/19/2012. Better yet, no I don't. I let you meet Stephen Hawking. You're welcome._

_-Howard_

Penny grabbed the $10 and stuffed it in her pocket. The amount wasn't enough in cab fare to take her all the way across town to the gym, but it was enough to take her to Junior. And if he thought that lying in that hospital bed would somehow excuse him from helping her get to Sheldon, she'd break something else on his body.

* * *

The Golden Glove did not have a sign outside that indicated its operating hours, much to Sheldon's aggravation. He scaled the windows and pulled on the front door handle with as much strength as he could muster, but was unable to find a way in. Tugging at the strap of his satchel, he released a puff of air through his nostrils in frustration. He turned around and saw the giant statue of a golden lion at the left of the front door. It was smudged from fingerprints and other dastardly stains of origins he didn't want to think about. Sighing, he checked his watch and saw that it was now closer to 9:00 AM. It was a weekday, so most people would be at work or school instead of training. But if he remembered Marky's habits, the man practically lived to train. And this was apparently his home base when it came to gyms. Sheldon figured there had to be a back entrance somewhere, so he decided to search for it, walking down the deserted sidewalk until it wrapped around the building and led into an alleyway with two huge dumpsters and a dead end cut off by a chain-link fence. He swallowed hard and felt his nerves rattle.

His satchel contained Purell, a first aid kit, two water bottles, bandages, some cash, and his weapon of choice. He left his wallet at home in a disclosed location, along with Penny's wallet that he stole from her purse in case she tried to follow him, so that if Marky had overcome Sheldon, he wouldn't be able to read his address on his I.D. The address would lead him to Penny, and Sheldon would not allow that.

On the cab ride over, his conversation with Penny invaded his thoughts. She was unsure that he would be able to defend himself with a seasoned fighter like his enemy. Though it had been a fact that Sheldon was very keen to the moves Marky used and the physics of defensive stances, it was also true that he lacked the brute strength that Marky possessed in plenitude. So Sheldon brought something along with him that would ensure that he would have the upper hand when he came face-to-face with the bastard and would give him the opportunity to enact revenge, then ultimately end all of this for good.

And with this last thought to give him a surge of confidence, Sheldon walked cautiously down the alley, looking over his shoulder occasionally to make sure he wasn't being followed. When he was satisfied that he was alone, he looked along the tall brick wall of The Golden Glove, searching for the backdoor. Soon, he found it, wedged between a dumpster and some old cardboard boxes stacked haphazardly on top of each other. He avoided touching the dumpster as he reached out to turn the knob of the back door. He jiggled it once and growled in chagrin. The locking mechanism was flimsy he could tell, as the knob was hardly tightened enough to stay latched for long, but he didn't want to make too much of a racket trying to break in just in case someone was on the other side of the door. Instead he let go of the knob and took a moment to think of what to do next.

He began to turn around when he heard a noise from inside the door. It sounded like shuffling and it was getting louder, like someone was coming towards him. Sheldon's heart rate spiked; should he move? Dodge and hide? Before he could decide, the knob in front of him turned and the door flew open, revealing the towering frame of a man donned in a dark blue hoodie and matching sweatpants. His cheekbones were swollen so bad that his eyes were almost shut. Even with a maimed face, Sheldon would have known him anywhere.

His eidetic memory aside, Sheldon doubted anyone could ever forget the person who once stole your pants.

"It's about time," Kurt said gruffly before rearing back a fist. "Sorry, bro." The view of his giant knuckles grazing his beak was the last thing Sheldon saw before flashes of white pain took him under, and he fell into a black unconsciousness.

* * *

Penny paid the driver and tried to regulate her breathing. With each step she took, she was coming closer to Junior, who would ultimately want to know where Sheldon was. She was unsure of how he would take it, being that he was physically incapable of getting out of bed and rushing to Sheldon's aid. She remembered their talk at the bar a few nights ago, when he had said he would always be protective of his little brother. Penny could understand the sentiment, but she was angry all the same. It was Junior's fault that this was all happening, after all. He didn't have to come to Pasadena to drag Sheldon back into the hell of his own creation. She tried to rid the thoughts of bitterness as the elevator lifted her to the ICU wing. She slipped out of the doors and walked straight up to the nurse's station.

"Hi, I'm here to see George Cooper."

"He's been moved to a private room on the 6th floor," the nurse said tiredly, not looking up from her computer screen.

"What room?"

"662."

"Thanks," Penny said quickly then turned on her heels and jogged back down to the lift. When she finally arrived on the 6th floor, she reasoned with herself to be calm and collected when telling Junior about Sheldon going to the gym. Perhaps he would even be able to help her devise a plan of getting Sheldon out of there without getting either of them hurt or killed. She smoothed her shirt over her shorts and inhaled deeply one more time before knocking softly on Junior's closed door. She didn't wait for an answer before she pushed it open slowly, hoping he wasn't asleep. But as soon as the door cracked, she was met with the cold blast of AC that was cooling the room, as well as the sound of two hushed voices, one that belonged to a male and the other to a female. "Junior?" she called apprehensively. She looked quickly at the room number one more time.

"Come in," a female voice with a familiar sounding drawl replied.

Penny pushed the door all the way open and pulled the privacy curtain back to reveal Junior in bed, lying back but the bed was elevated so that he was reclined at an angle to see Penny clearly. And next to him stood a slim and very short woman with tight blue jeans and a black tank top. Her dirty blonde hair was swept up into a smoothed pony tail and her eyes were round and dark, tired-looking. She was a simple-looking woman with a severe frown. "I'm sorry," Penny said, a puzzled look on her face. "Are you Junior's girlfriend?"

Junior made a chortling noise with his jaw clenched together, making Penny look at him as he rolled his eyes at her. The skin beneath his pupils were blackened, but his actual orbs were still so blue, so clear and pure that it made her heart ache; they were identical to Sheldon's. He moved his bow-shaped lips, also similar to Sheldon's, and Penny could see he was trying to form a sentence. "She 'ishes," he said, his voice strained.

"I'm too good for him," the woman said, sarcasm dripping off of her tone like fresh paint. She was gripping the side rails of Junior's bed so hard that her knuckles were white. After a moment's hesitation, she released the rail and took a few steps towards Penny. "I'm Rachel, an old friend of the family. You must be Penny."

* * *

When Sheldon came to, he was alone in a secluded weight room, dimly lit by one bulb burning above his head. He tried to move, but realized his wrists were bound together with rope behind the chair he was tied to. He was took note of his inability to breathe evenly, and realized it was because his nasal passages were obstructed. His mind was foggy, but he quickly remembered the look of slight regret on Kurt's bloated face before he administered him the punch, effectively knocking Sheldon out with one blow. Then he deduced that his nose was probably broken.

A part of him was grateful that he was unconscious after the first initial moments of being punched. Although he felt the dull ache of the blow, it was probably nothing compared to how bad it could have felt if he were awake. His nerve endings were now assimilating to the swelling of his nasal fracture.

He looked around, studying his surroundings. Weights and benches were pushed up against the wall and there was one metal door directly in front of him; the only exit. He wondered if he screamed, who would hear him? Then his thoughts flew to Kurt. Why would he leave the hospital to come back to this gym, where the man who put him in the hospital in the first place trained? And what did Kurt mean when he told Sheldon 'it's about time'? So many questions and no one to ask.

Finally, Sheldon looked down at his body. He studied his blue shirt with black stripes and dark blue slacks before realizing something was missing. The strap of his beige colored satchel. His eyes swept the room, looking frantically around for his bag. Suddenly, a heavy thud sounded on the metal door before it swung open and in walked Marky, the man Sheldon had come to see all along. He was about to open his mouth when another man followed him in, shutting the door behind them. His jaw went slack as he quickly recognized the sandy brown, shoulder-length hair and stocky frame of Rick, Rachel's brother. Rick's brown eyes studied Sheldon from afar with a hint of curiosity, but mostly were stone cold with subdued rage.

"Sheldon Cooper," Marky shouted with a smirk on his face. "Boy, I've gotta say, I'm very jealous of Kurt. He was the one who got to knock you out. I've wanted to do that since the day I met you." His red hair and eyebrows were prominent over his pale skin. He looked bigger, bulkier then Sheldon had remembered. As he rambled on, the younger man behind him kept his eyes on Sheldon and didn't blink. "Now that your big brother's out of the way, I guess I can smack you around all I want now, huh?"

"Marky Robertson," Sheldon countered, his nose aching more and more with each breath he struggled to take. "Or is it Rob now? You left Marky back in Texas when you ran away, didn't you? Along with your testicles?"

"Careful, Shelly," Marky chuckled, waggling a finger at him. "George isn't here to help you anymore."

"I guarantee you that I don't need him," Sheldon sneered. "Untie me and I'll show you." He felt little pistons of rage begin to ignite behind his eyes, causing him to see red. His chest rose and fell as he struggled to loosen his wrists from their hold. He wanted to get his hands on Marky, close his fingers around his throat, tighten them, and never release.

"Oh, my beef is not with you, man," Marky said. "You served your purpose, I was done with you years ago. Unfortunately, that doesn't let you off the hook." He motioned behind him to Rick, who took a giant step forward, coming close to Sheldon. "I think you remember Rick. He's requested some alone time with you today. And I'm unable to deny him that. He's been waiting a long time, you see."

"Rick," Sheldon raised his eyes until they met his. "What are you doing here with him?"

The blonde man was silent, staring straight down at Sheldon with a calculating look on his face. It made Sheldon's skin crawl.

"I'll leave you two alone," Marky said cheerfully as he retreated back to the metal door. "I've got to go visit an old friend of mine in the hospital. Kurt's driving me. He says he knows what room George is in." He wiggled his eyebrows at Sheldon evilly, and Sheldon jolted forward.

"You stay away from him!" he yelled, pulling so hard against his restraints that he felt the rope cut into his delicate skin. "You have me here, I'm enough!" But his yells went unanswered as Marky slammed the door shut behind him. This was not supposed to happen, Sheldon realized, the coldness settling in over his body as dread soaked his insides. He was supposed to slip in, use his weapon on Marky, then leave. He should have known it couldn't have been this easy. But he never imagined the curve ball that was thrown, in the form of Rick.

"I've waited a long time to get back into fighting shape," Rick suddenly said, causing Sheldon's eyes to flit from the closed door to the man looming over him. "You know why?"

"Rick," Sheldon began, his voice reaching a higher octave. "I know I have wronged you. But you have to understand, it was always Marky's idea – " Sheldon felt a thud of what seemed like cement slam into his cheekbone, and only a split second later did he realize it was the closed fist of Rick that had punched him. He felt his tongue go numb and his head lolled to the side. He groaned in agony, but still continued to speak. "It was Marky. His idea."

"What, did he have a gun to your head, Sheldon?" Rick demanded, his own voice going shrill with rage.

"Not technically," Sheldon struggled to speak as he felt blood trickling out of his mouth. "But you don't understand the hold he had over me. He threatened to kill my family if I didn't scout fights for him. He picked you because you were the best next to Junior. He head-hunted you." After he spoke, he felt winded. He felt like going to sleep. The pain was too much. He wondered what Penny was doing at the moment.

"Doesn't matter now," Rick said. "You were the little prick who would watch my every move. You told your brother how to beat me in a match. He almost killed me. I couldn't fight for years after that, let alone regain feeling in my hands. You both ruined me. But Marky took me in, trained me, brought me back to life. Then we had our guys call Junior and tell him where to find Marky. All we had to do was wait until he showed up. He was taking awhile, too. We almost had to go pay a visit to him in Texas. But he showed up yesterday and we knew you weren't far behind."

"You called my brother?" Sheldon asked, his anger momentarily fading as pieces began to come together.

"I did," Rick confirmed, his fists tightening at his sides. "And now, you and your brother are going to feel what it is to have everything taken away from you."

* * *

After Penny told Junior that Sheldon had went after Marky himself, his eyes gleamed and tears fell while he lamented mournfully. He frantically motioned with his neck towards Rachel, who in turn grabbed his hand.

"I'm going right now. I'll bring him back to you," Rachel promised fiercely, then turned and started to walk out of the room without another word.

"Wait," Penny said, panic threatening to overcome her. "Where is she going?" She looked at Junior who had his eyes shut tight. "Junior! What is happening?"

"Stay," Junior commanded through gritted teeth, his jaw wired shut. "Stay."

"No," Penny shook her head as tears formed in her own eyes. "Who is that woman? Is she going to Sheldon?" She waited long enough for Junior to nod, then turned and ran out of the room, ignoring Junior's loud moaning. She caught up to the Rachel just as she stepped inside of the elevator and flung her arm into the entrance before the door could close all the way. She stared with wild eyes at the woman as she looked impatiently at Penny. "Are you going to Sheldon?"

"I am," Rachel answered with a curt nod. "You'd better stay here, though. This is going to be dangerous."

"The only danger you need to worry about is for yourself if you try to stand in the way of me getting to Sheldon. I'm coming with you." She walked in and slapped the first floor button on the elevator control panel. She snuck a glance out of the corner of her eye as Rachel sized her up.

"Well, I sure hope you walk as tough as you talk," she said after a long moment of silence. Penny returned her appraising glare, then the lift descended, taking them down to the first floor.

"You have no idea," Penny replied simply as they walked off of the elevator and hurried over to Rachel's car.

* * *

**A/N pt 2: Eeek! I promise, chapter 17 will follow closely behind!**

**Also, The scene with Junior and Rachel had to be my favorite scene I've ever written in this story (with Penny and Junior's talk at the bar in a close second). There's just something beautiful about the way people who care about you talk about you when you're not around, in this case, how Rachel and Junior spoke so delicately of Sheldon and missed his presence all at once. I hope my feelings for the scene was conveyed in the writing. Sorry, just had to share. ;]**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: I **_**think **_**I just barely updated within J's expectation…oops, no, it has been more like 3-4 days! LOL …sorry it took me so long, but I kept having to make adjustments to this chapter. It wouldn't come out the way I had it in my head! But hopefully you all will like it and understand that this was where we were headed all along.**

**I can see that some of you were confused by Rachel's sudden presence and why Rick is foolin' around with Marky, and ****most importantly****, what the hell Kurt is up to?! I think this chapter should clear all that up. :] **

**Enjoy! *Warning: graphic violence ahead***

* * *

"Please don't take my sunshine away."

Meemaw's voice was as clear and concise as the day he sat with her in her kitchen while she taught him the words to that song for the first time. Pop Pop had just passed and Sheldon, even at the age of 5, wondered how, _how, _could anyone smile and sing after someone like Pop Pop had just died? He wasn't cross with Meemaw, he just had the scientific curiosity: how could you live on when your insides hurt so bad?

"Things happen beyond our control every day, Sheldon," Meemaw had said suddenly and without warning, almost as if she were reading his mind. Her back was to Sheldon as he sat at the table dunking strawberries sliced in halves into a small bowl of sugar before popping them in his mouth. "The best chance any of us have is if we learn to accept what we cannot change and make the best of what we've got."

Sheldon shook his head quickly to move the bangs out of his face, his shaggy hair cut as troublesome as ever since his mother had missed his last hair appointment on account of Pop Pop dying the week before. "Sing that song again, Meemaw," he asked. His tiny heart thumped faster in his chest. He wanted to hear it, needed to hear it, so that it could solidify in his brain and he could conjure it whenever he felt sad and helpless, like he did then.

"Only if you sing it with me, Moonpie." Meemaw turned away from the sink and Sheldon was mildly terrified by the tears that were finally streaming down her face. He wiped his sticky fingers with the wet napkin near his bowl and got up from his chair. Taking two small steps towards her, he inhaled sharply before tentatively touching his head to his grandmother's stomach then completed the embrace by wrapping his wiry arms around her plump waist. They sang together.

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray."

Although the memory of this day flooded his brain like sunlight pouring into an open window, Sheldon forced himself to remain conscious and focused on what was happening to him right now. Rick administered blow after blow against his temple, his jaw, his cheekbones. Through squinted, swollen eyes, Sheldon watched as Rick took a few steps back and saw his chest rise and fall under his shirt quickly. He noticed that the light bulb that was hanging above him was swinging from its loose chain, splaying light on the corners of the room. Directly behind Rick, Sheldon saw his satchel tossed carelessly on top of a weight bench. He took note that if he were to get free, it would only take three steps to get to his bag.

"I should untie you right here and now," the man seethed through gritted teeth. Sheldon could practically feel the rage coming off of him in waves. "This hardly seems fair."

"Let's do it then," Sheldon drawled. His bottom lip trembled as his thick tongue tasted blood at every crevice of his mouth. It hurt him, but after a moment, he finally got his mouth to stretch and it stung like hell as sweat and blood touched the cuts on the corners of his lips. He couldn't help himself. He was giving Rick that shit-eating Cooper boy grin.

And it earned him a blow to his stomach, then Rick caught his neck with a tight grip, causing his already obstructed airway to narrow even further. Little pools of black spotted his vision as his aggressor leered over him. "You finally ready to quit watching around the bonfire, Sheldon? You finally ready to fight me like a real man?"

He released his hold on his neck and Sheldon sputtered, coughing wildly. After drawing in a few staggering breaths, he nodded. "Untie me," he dared him. "We'll find out."

He tried very hard not to look at his satchel that was only steps away from him. If he had a chance to get out of this alive, he had to make it to his bag. The contents inside were meant for Marky, but desperate times called for desperate measures. He only hoped that when Kurt knocked him out, he didn't search his bag while he was unconscious. His thoughts were interrupted when Rick suddenly disappeared from view and he felt the rope around his legs become undone. Very shortly thereafter, the rope around his wrists were tugged, and he winced as they were ripped from his skin, his wrists screaming in pain. He needed the first aid kit if he hoped to escape infection.

When Sheldon was completely free, Rick stepped in front of him, his hulking frame blocking Sheldon's view of his bag. "Get up, you piece of shit. Fight me."

"Now, Rick," Sheldon wheezed, bringing his wrists to his lap as he struggled to catch his breath. "You're much stronger than me. I still don't see how this will be a fair fight." He squared his shoulders and braced even weight on both of his feet, keeping them flat on the floor and placed approximately a foot apart while he sat at the edge of his chair. Though Rick possessed strength, Sheldon had an eidetic memory.

_Sheldon nodded and finally forced himself to turn away from the fire, the crowd, from Rachel, then followed Marky into the dark, where he belonged. "His right hook is quick but he doesn't protect himself. If Junior implements the combo for inside kicks after ducking a strike, he could break Rick's ribs within the first round."_

"In all the training you've done with Marky lately, did he ever instruct you how to efficiently protect your left?" As the last word left his mouth, Sheldon surged forward, locked both of his fists together, bent his elbows and brought them down hard on the left side of Rick's unshielded flank to inflict impairment on his old injury, the one Junior had given him under Sheldon's direction 10 years ago. He felt the sharp impact of his elbows making contact with his ribs then heard the loud yelp of the larger man as he doubled over in pain. Sheldon quickly dodged Rick's right fist as it flew past his face, but he wasn't prepared to move so quickly after the beating he had taken on his head. The room spun as he lost his footing and fell down, landing hard on his shoulder. The pain made him howl, and he quickly felt the socket between his clavicle and shoulder to make sure nothing was dislocated. He wasn't on the ground for too long before he saw Rick limp over to him, holding his side. As quickly as he could, Sheldon stretched out his body and scrambled toward his satchel, kicking his legs as Rick stalked over to him.

"You son-of-a-bitch!" he spit out before he reached for Sheldon's shirt and tried to pull him off the ground. When he couldn't get Sheldon up, he released his grip on the shirt and reared his leg back, poised to kick him in the side. But the physicist assumed a fetal position and turned towards Rick's foot, catching the blow between his limbs instead of in his gut. He twisted his arms, catching the bigger man off-guard and pulled him to the ground. Then he flipped over and crawled the rest of the way to the weight bench and pulled his satchel to the ground. To his horror, all of the contents of the bag were gone, including his weapon he had brought when he thought he was going to face Marky alone. Sheldon's view was obscured as blood and sweat ran down his face. He looked around frantically and grabbed the first thing he saw: a flat, metal disc weight with '10 LBS' etched on the side. He grabbed it then tossed himself onto his back just in time to see Rick hurtling towards him.

* * *

_Damnit, Sheldon, _Penny thought to herself as she hit 'END' on her cell phone, then went to her recent calls list and pressed his name. It rang two times, again, before the automated voicemail box voice suggested she leave a message, _again_. She couldn't figure out why she kept trying to call him when it was obvious he wasn't going to answer. She sighed in frustration before stuffing her phone back into her pocket, then looked straight out through the windshield. "We're only about five miles away," she muttered, pointing a shaking finger to the right to signal which way Rachel should turn now. "Keep straight for awhile." They were enclosed in Rachel's tiny, rented sedan. The air was tense and thick, nearly suffocating Penny. It didn't help that her heart was pounding so hard that she could feel the vibration in her throat. She swallowed, trying to get a grip. She had to go into that gym with a clear head. But then what? What if Sheldon wasn't there and she came face-to-face with Marky herself? Or worse, what if Sheldon was there, and he was hurt? She couldn't bear to think of his handsome face, his lanky body, beaten and bloody like Junior was yesterday. She would die if anything happened to him. Before she could stop it, a sob escaped her mouth, and it bled into a hoarse wail.

"Hey," Rachel finally spoke as she steered the car to the right and increased her pressure on the gas pedal. "I need you to keep it together, Miss Thing."

"What if something's happened to him?" Penny hiccupped, terror rising up in her abdomen until it came out in gasps. "Fucking Sheldon, if anything happens to you…" she began rambling, and Rachel's face twisted into slight fear.

"Seriously, Penny, listen to me," she demanded, attempting to reel the woman in. "I've known Sheldon since he was 17 years-old. I've seen him at his worst. I don't know what kind of man he's been these last eight years since he's live in California, but men like Sheldon don't change. He's a survivor from way back, I promise you that."

Penny's gasps quieted and she turned her neck to look at Rachel through blurry eyes. "Why are you here?"

Rachel took a deep breath. "I got a call early this morning from the hospital. Junior requested my presence here in Pasadena, told me to catch the first flight out. He told me Sheldon might be in trouble." She paused for a moment and swallowed so hard, Penny could see her chin tremble. "And that Marky was the one causing all the trouble."

"Marky attacked Junior yesterday, right?"

"Not quite. Marky was never a better fighter than Junior. He had his thugs do it."

Penny's breath caught in her throat as she rubbed her eyes. Marky's thugs? She had an enraged thought that crossed her mind. _If Kurt was one of these thugs…_

"Junior might have even been able to defend himself and not walked out of there with his ass whooped so bad had he not been distracted." Again, Rachel paused, but this time she looked over and held eye contact with Penny for a split second. And in that short time, Penny saw sheer pain, loss. "It's my brother. He saw my brother there, and my brother is out for blood. Not just again Junior, but against Sheldon, too."

"Your brother?" Penny was heating up. She couldn't be sure if she wanted to know more or if she wanted to lean over the middle console and slap the shit out of Rachel. "What the hell is this?"

"It's complicated," Rachel croaked. "I just…you have to understand, I had no idea what Rick was up to. Rick is my brother…my family hasn't seen or spoken to him in almost eight months. I never would have thought that Rick would come up here and seek out _Marky Robertson_ of all people. The man's evil, psychotic."

"What does he want with Sheldon?" Penny asked, her tone gritty and low. Rachel had about five seconds to explain what her presence here in California was really for. Right now, she didn't trust her and she sure as hell didn't trust Junior's judgment call to bring her here.

"Eight years ago, Sheldon scouted my brother. Marky set up the match between him and Junior. My brother and Sheldon's were the top fighters in their weight class. It was a high stakes fight. Because of Sheldon, Junior knew exactly how to beat Rick. But he didn't stop at just defeating him in the match." Penny noticed Rachel's voice had taken on a hint of bitterness. "He almost killed my brother. He crushed every rib on the left side of his body. He fractured his spine with a vicious take down. Rick was in a coma for two weeks before he came to. And he underwent eight surgeries to bring back feeling in all of his limbs and fingers and toes. It was a nightmare for him, for all of us. Our family went broke trying to pay his hospital bills. He couldn't find work for ages. He was completely broken, in every sense of the word. All because of…" She slowly looked at Penny again with a knowing look.

"Hey!" Penny shouted. "I hope you're not insinuating that this is Sheldon's fault! Your brother was a fighter; he knew the risks when he got into that ring with Junior!"

"It wasn't Sheldon's fault, not even Junior's," Rachel said quickly. As she steered the car, her features became hard, steely. "It was that son-of-a-bitch Marky's. They were pawns in his game, all three of them were. Which is why I can't understand why Rick is here, letting Marky train him now."

"Your brother is fighting again?"

"I assume so, since that's what Marky told Junior before his thugs dumped him out in the middle of the street. He said Marky told him that he had been training Rick for awhile, preparing him to see Sheldon."

"Oh, God," Penny cried as her breathing became erratic again.

"That's why I'm here," Rachel said softly. "I hopped on the first flight, non-stop, and was here within four hours. Came straight to the hospital to hear Junior out. We were both afraid Sheldon would go to the gym to seek revenge for what happened to Junior, but we didn't know for sure until you got there." Her face suddenly became red, Penny noticed. "You and Sheldon…Junior told me you guys have something special."

Penny remained silent for a few beats. "Sheldon is my best friend. I love him." She turned in her seat to face Rachel. Penny felt her eyes narrow and her voice lowered ominously. "I understand your brother has suffered. But if he hurts Sheldon in anyway, I'll kill him myself."

Rachel never met Penny's eyes, and instead stared straight ahead at the road. "Let's, uh…let's hope it doesn't have to come to that." She cleared her throat and Penny, satisfied, turned back around and faced forward, too. Finally, she saw the gleam in the distance of the giant golden lion in front of the gym. "We're here. Park around the back." The women found a spot quickly and before Rachel could shut off the engine, Penny reached for the car door and flung it open, climbing out of her seat. "Hold on," Rachel said. "Stay close to me."

"No offense, but I can take care of myself," Penny retorted, ignoring Rachel and headed across the parking lot.

Rachel ran to catch up before grabbing Penny's shoulder and whirled her around. "Not so fast, Barbie," she murmured as Penny shot her arm out to push Rachel off of her. She missed hitting her by a few inches as Rachel leaned back to avoid her hand, and they locked challenging glares. "I'm not trying to fight with you, Penny. We're both here for the same thing."

"The fuck we are," Penny growled. "I'm here for Sheldon. You're here to make sure your brother is – "

"I loved Sheldon, too!"

The women gaped at each other, silence brewing between them. Penny looked away first, uncomfortably eyeing the gravel beneath them.

"Look," Rachel said finally, sniffing loudly and placed her hands on her waist. "I'm here to make sure he's not hurt. He…there was a time when we were friends who meant a lot to each other. I love my brother, but don't think for a minute that I don't know he's wrong for wanting to hurt Sheldon."

Penny finally met Rachel's eye. She tried to push sudden thoughts of why Sheldon never mentioned this woman before to the back of her mind, and she found herself nodding. "Okay. Let's go." They turned to walk forward and when they reached the front door, Penny yanked on the handle. It was locked. "There's gotta be a back entrance somewhere," she said to Rachel, and went around to the side where they saw an alleyway and finally, a back door to the gym. Her heart was racing, but she couldn't stop going forward or even allow herself to pause and think things through. She looked at the loose doorknob and turned it then pulled the door open easily. She waved over Rachel and put a finger to her lips, signaling for the woman to quietly follow her. Closing the door behind them, Rachel and Penny silently treaded down the long, dark corridor.

"I have pepper spray," Rachel whispered in Penny's ear. "Stay close to me."

Penny nodded in agreement and strained her eyes to see in the dark. There were a series of doors on either side of the hallway, some closed and some were wide open. Both women stopped and carefully looked inside each open door to make sure there wasn't anyone in the room. She wondered if she should call Sheldon's name; what if he was trapped in one of the rooms with the closed doors? But before she could suggest this to Rachel, they heard a loud, inhuman yell of pain behind them.

"Over here," Penny urged quietly, waving Rachel over to follow her as she ran back to the closed door she thought the yell had come from. She pressed her ear to the metal door and heard scuffling.

"_You son-of-a-bitch!_" they heard someone scream from inside.

"Oh, my God," Rachel said, her face blanching. "That's Rick." She shot her hands forward, reaching for the door knob, but it was locked. They pressed their ears to the door again in time to hear two men grunt and a loud, sickening _thud _before something heavy hit the floor. The sounds sent rippled chills of fear down Penny's spine.

Without thinking, she raised her hands and starting pounding on the door with her open palms. "Sheldon! Let me in!"

* * *

"I know you're some little freak of nature, Shelly," George Cooper had once said, his breath reeking of beer and stale cigarettes as the two of them stood outside in the frosty air just inside the tree line of the woods. "And that's your mother's doing. But I'll be damned if I raise me a dickless little shit. Now pick that rifle up and shoot that damn deer. He's our dinner. And if you don't shoot him, you don't eat!" Sheldon whimpered as his eight year-old body trembled with grief. He didn't want to kill another animal. There was plenty of food in the house. He missed his Pop Pop.

Before he pulled the trigger, his father leaned over and spoke slowly in his ear one more time. "Son, be strong. You've got that thing in your crosshairs. One day, you might have to kill something or someone else to survive. In a situation where it's either you or them, it better goddamn well be them."

Sheldon closed his eyes and slightly aimed the rifle to the side before pulling the trigger, purposely missing the doe as it frolicked off into the woods. He flinched, waiting for the swat of his father's hand on the back of his head. Instead, he felt George Cooper hastily yank the rifle out of his small hands before he turned his back and walked off towards the house. "Pathetic," he muttered as Sheldon followed close behind.

With this memory in his mind and his own life on the line, Sheldon raised the weight above him in time for Rick to see it, then swung it hard against his head. The big man immediately keeled over and crumpled to the cement floor. His feet twitched slightly before he let out a soft moan of agony. Sheldon was silently grateful that he stopped Rick, but was wary of him all the same. He didn't want to hurt him; he was only trying to defend himself. Anger bubbled up in Sheldon as he tried to climb to his feet, his head pounding and the room spinning all the while. This was all Marky's doing, again.

Rick let out a wheezing cough, and blood spurted from his nose. Sheldon felt his heart stop. He had just knocked him out for a few seconds thankfully, and he was still alive.

_He_ had done this. Marky didn't swing the weight at Rick's skull. Sheldon did. The reality of the situation he found himself in, the danger he had put Penny in, it all came crashing down on him like rubble from the ceiling of a condemned building.

_This world is dangerous._

All the careful calculations in every step he took, every eidetic memory he harbored, and every routine behavior he ever partook in that once comforted him meant _shit_ now. He couldn't pretend that he wasn't a changed man.

Or maybe this was who he had always been? His father's son.

His education, his noted reputation as a child prodigy, his advanced work in the field of physics…what was the point? What weight did his accomplishments acquire if at the end of the day, he was no longer in control of himself?

"Sheldon!"

He clenched and unclenched his fists as the pounding on the metal door rattled his nerves. _That voice!_

"P…Penny?" His stomach rolled with a wave of nausea. She was here, she had found a way to get to him. He took a step towards the door but then stopped. He turned around and looked at Rick on the floor. Penny would see what Sheldon had done, and it would terrify her. He glanced at the metal door and then he looked longingly away. He didn't want to be here. But, as he tried to explain to her before, some bonds are impossible to dissolve. His past had absorbed him. Now it was beckoning him, and he was doomed to follow.

"Sheldon, goddamnit, let's go! Open this door!"

The second voice threw him for a loop. He suddenly felt his body sway as nostalgia mixed with incomprehension overcame him. That couldn't be…_Rachel?_

Taking a deep breath, Sheldon walked slowly over to the door, every inch of his body sensitive with pain and soreness. He unlocked the knob and pulled the door open. He was met with the familiar scent of vanilla oil and was slammed with a shock of pain as Penny flung her body towards him, her hands reaching up and grabbing the collar of his shirt to bring him down closer to her. He tried to protest, horrified at the thought of his blood getting on her, but as she pushed her moist lips to his stinging ones, he melted into her touch. Before he knew it, she pulled away and had begun to appraise him.

"Oh, my God, Sheldon! Sweetie, are you okay?"

He nodded and winced down at her, emotion overcoming him like it never had before. He wanted to laugh, cry, and yell all at once. "How did you get here?" His voice was hoarse from being choked earlier.

"Don't you _ever _do that to me again!" Penny sobbed, shaking her head and yanking his collar harder.

Sheldon was about to repeat his question but the answer instead came before him as Rachel stepped into the room slowly. She looked exactly the same, yet sadly aged and distressed. He felt like he was looking at a ghost. "What…how?"

"Sheldon," Rachel began then stopped abruptly as her eyes lowered to the ground. "Rick, no!" Her voice was shrill and high, causing Sheldon to wince again and step out of the way, wrapping his arms around Penny protectively as Rachel flew past them and went immediately to her knees next to her brother. "Rick!" She was borderline hysterical.

"Sheldon," Penny gasped, following Rachel with her eyes.

"I'm so sorry," Sheldon whispered, feeling tears well up in his swollen eyes. He looked at Penny and shook his head sadly, relishing the feel of her in his bloodied hands.

"Sweetie, listen to me." She let go of his shirt and very lightly placed her hands on either side of his face. "You did what you had to do to survive. Sheldon, let's go. Let's get you to the hospital."

"Rick?" Rachel cried over the groaning of her brother.

"Rachel?" he croaked, causing Sheldon to whirl around and stare at the prone man. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, Rick," his sister sobbed, touching his face. "I can ask you the same thing." She pushed the hair out of his eyes. "Are you okay?"

"Sheldon beat my head in with a fucking weight, no I'm not okay." The man struggled to sit up, and Rachel pulled his arm to help him upright.

"Rick," she said quietly. "What are you doing here with Marky?"

"Get out of my way," he growled, now rising unsteadily to his feet. His eyes were unfocused, his pupils dilated, and he lurched forward with his hand out, walking towards Sheldon. "I'm going to kill you."

"Rick!" Rachel screamed, running ahead of him and planting herself in between the two men. Sheldon had pulled Penny behind him and held her there as she peered out at the scene from around his arm. "Stop this! Sheldon didn't do this to you!"

"The hell he didn't!" Rick yelled, his nose still running with blood. "He ruined my life!"

"It was Marky," Rachel protested, placing her hands on Rick's chest to try and push him back. "Listen to me, goddamnit! This was all Marky's fault! And you fell right into his trap again!"

"Marky was the only one who knew Junior's weaknesses. That's why I came out here. And if we got to Junior, we could get to Sheldon."

"He played you, Rick," Sheldon called out. "He played all of us. I am truly sorry for everything I did to you." Rachel turned around slightly and caught his eye, a tear slipping from hers. "I'm sorry to both of you. I can't change the past, I wish that I could." His back slouched slightly, and he felt Penny hold him upright as he felt fainter and fainter.

"What the hell happened in here?"

All four pairs of eyes flitted to the open door as Kurt stepped in, his face incredulous as he surveyed Sheldon's battered face.

"You!" Penny suddenly shrieked as she stared at Kurt. "What did you do?!"

"Penny, what the hell are you doing here?" Kurt groaned, his hands flying to his head. He rubbed his cropped hair and yanked on it in frustration.

Penny started towards him with her arms rising to pummel him with her fists, but Sheldon yanked her back to him with the little strength he could gather. His curiosity was aflame and his rage was brewing again. "Kurt, where's Marky? Did you take him to my brother?"

Rachel and Rick remained silent as they watched the exchange.

"I'm sorry it took me so long to get back, Sheldon," Kurt said, shaking his head. "I didn't mean to let this asshole beat up on you like that." He pointed at Rick and Rachel narrowed her eyes at him.

"Who the hell is this?" she asked angrily.

"Also," Kurt ignored her. "I'm sorry for socking you earlier. It was the only way for the plan to get carried out."

"What in the _fuck_ is happening here?" Penny asked loudly.

"Come with me," her ex-boyfriend beckoned the group. "I've got something to show Sheldon."

* * *

Penny was trembling as she held onto Sheldon, one arm wrapped around his waist while he draped one of his own arms over her shoulders. She helped him walk at a slow pace as they followed Kurt out of the small room where Sheldon had been fighting with Rick and down the hallway towards the back exit. Her mind was pounding, the questions firing away faster than she could process. First and foremost, she wanted to get Sheldon out of there and to a doctor. She could care less about Rachel and her monster brother who obviously had unleashed hell on Sheldon's poor face. But there was urgency in Kurt's voice and they were all overcome with so many questions that they could only be answered by following Kurt.

"What does he mean that he socked you?" Penny whispered up at Sheldon.

"When I tried to come in through the backdoor, he was there. He opened it and punched me in the face. The next thing I know, I woke up tied to a chair and Marky and Rick were in the room with me. Marky left and told me Kurt was going to take him to Junior's hospital room."

"Well, you'll be happy to know that I didn't," Kurt chimed in, speaking over his shoulder at Sheldon. "It wasn't part of the plan."

"What plan?" Penny asked.

"This." Kurt stopped at the top of a staircase that led down into what she assumed was the basement. "Penny, stay out here."

"Like hell!" she replied, protectively standing in front of Sheldon now. Her blood was burning, coursing through her veins with the pump of adrenaline and nerves. She could fly at Kurt's face and snap his neck right now if she wanted to, that's how powerful and enraged she felt.

"Sheldon, I really don't think she should come…"

"Sheldon, I'm not going anywhere," Penny promised him, looking up at his injured face. It would take the wrath of God to separate them both now, and the defeated look Sheldon gave her let her know that he understood.

"She comes with me," he said gruffly.

"Whatever." Kurt shrugged and began walking down the steps before pausing and turning around. "Wait, what are you doing with Sheldon? Weren't you going out with that shrimp Lenny?"

"Kurt, go!" Penny yelled, pushing him forward down the steps. They continued walking again until Kurt opened the door to the basement and pushed through, letting the four of them follow him in.

She didn't know what she had been expecting. But if the queen of England had been in that basement waiting for them in her underwear, it would have been less surprising than what really lied ahead of them.

"Oh, my God…" Penny breathed as she felt Sheldon stiffen by her side. There in front of them, lying on the ground and writhing in pain while surrounded by three other guys standing over him, was a very injured and bloody Marky.

"Kurt…" Sheldon stepped forward while Penny brought two hands to her mouth, covering it in shock.

"What the hell is going on here?" Rachel's voice from behind Penny suddenly asked. She watched as the two siblings walked forward slowly, joining Sheldon who was next to Kurt. "Marky?"

"Things got a little out of hand yesterday," Kurt began, crossing his muscular arms over his chest as he walked towards the center of the room where Marky lied on a mat. "Your brother," he pointed at Sheldon, whose mouth was agape in an almost comical way, "came to visit me at the hospital yesterday afternoon. We came to an understanding; I told him when this sorry motherfucker would be back here to train and that he would be alone. Then together, we would kill Rob...or as I've come to learn, _Marky_. My only job was to convince these guys here," he pointed at the silent men who were standing over Marky, watching him with intensity, "to get on board. I knew it wouldn't be difficult. You see, we're all tired of his shit. He's always been a fucking asshole, and I never liked him. And when he fought me dirty the other day, put me in the hospital, well, that was the last straw." Kurt's eyebrows furrowed together as everyone listened to his speech. Even Marky was listening, his teeth gritted as he held his sides. His face was a bright red that very closely matched his hair color. Kurt continued. "The only thing that went wrong is Junior got here too fast. I barely had enough time to get discharged from the hospital let alone get all the way across town here. So by the time I arrived, these guys had already put a beat down on poor Junior before I could talk to them." He paused and looked at Sheldon. "For that I'm truly sorry, Sheldon. That wasn't supposed to happen."

"I don't understand," Sheldon said, his eyes never leaving Marky, his voice shaky. "This was all planned?"

"Well, if Junior hadn't gone rogue and waited for me to talk to my boys, this would have been handled yesterday. Instead, he got himself fucked up, too. I finally got free from here to go see him in the hospital, where he told me I needed to be on the lookout for you, Sheldon. Then he told me why. He told me everything. He even told me about Rick," he motioned with his neck to the Rick, "and we came up with a new plan. If you came Sheldon, the plan was to get you away from Marky and get this bastard alone. We didn't know what you had planned, and Junior didn't want you to do anything you would regret or anything that would get you killed. So my job was to get Marky away from you, because he belongs to _me_." He suddenly stopped, turned around, and gave a swift kick to Marky's face, causing the man on the ground to howl. Penny jumped from the sheer astonishment of watching Kurt inflict pain so hatefully on someone else. She had never seen him so murderous. But a part of her knew that Marky had it coming all along.

"I didn't plan on leaving you alone with Rick for so long," Kurt continued, walking off the mat and towards Sheldon. "So I'm sorry about that. But I came back for you. Your brother promised me that he and I could finish Marky together. But since he's not here, I figured I'd leave it up to you. What do you want to do with Marky?"

Penny's heart thudded in her chest. She watched Sheldon mull over Kurt's explanation.

"Where are the contents from my satchel?" he asked.

"Oh, Marky told me to search you when I dragged you in from the alley. I put your stuff over here." He pointed at a table pushed up against the wall, and Penny watched as Sheldon walked over to the contents and picked up one item. It was a bottle filled with clear solution. She was about to ask him what it was but he just stuffed the bottle and the other items into his pocket. He didn't say a word to anybody, but instead he walked over to the mat until he stood right in front of Marky who was bleeding profusely from the mouth.

"For sixteen years, I've dreamt of killing you," Sheldon said softly, almost inaudible. But Penny heard the fervor in his voice.

"So why ain't you?" Marky asked, coughing up blood and spitting it at Sheldon's shoes. "Pussy. You and your fucking brother. I'll tell you what, Shelly. You better hope you kill me, because if you don't, I'm coming after you, Junior, then I'm gonna head back down to Texas and get a taste of that sweet ass on your sister before I snap her neck and strangle your mother in her sleep."

His words stung Penny and she paused, waiting for the moment for Sheldon to attack. She didn't want to see him lose control, but she would have understood. He had warned her from the beginning that none of them would escape this situation unscathed. She stood completely still, bracing herself for the moment when he went berserk and snuffed Marky's life out. Instead, he turned and faced Penny. She thought he was going to speak to her but then he pointed a finger to someone beside her.

"Rick," Sheldon said gravely, beckoning him over.

All eyes in the room shifted over to the limping man that followed Sheldon's command and walked over towards him. Rick stepped on the mat and the three men that were looming over Marky moved out of the way, joining Kurt on the side to spectate.

"Rick," Sheldon repeated, shuffling towards him. "I want you to understand that while I take full responsibility for my actions in your previous injuries, it was for no ill will towards you. My brother and I have always regretted our actions, and though that may mean nothing to you now, we only did it because of this man." He pointed a shaky finger at Marky, who was glowering up at him. "I can't change the past, but I came here today with the hope that I can rectify it. And now I know how. If you want him, he's all yours." He waited for a moment, evenly meeting Rick's stare with his own eyes. Finally, Rick nodded. Sheldon returned the nod and then looked over at Kurt. "Kurt, he belongs to Rick now. I don't want what happens here to leave this room. You will never speak a word of this to anybody, and you will never, _ever_, let any harm or repercussions come to Penny. As far as anyone is concerned, she was never here."

"Got it, chief," Kurt said solemnly, sneaking a quick glance at Penny. "Tell Junior I said I'm sorry I couldn't get to you on time. He told me if anything happened to you, he'd kill me himself."

"I'm fine," Sheldon said, a small tremor passing over his chin. "I'll take care of Junior." With that, Sheldon limped over to Penny, his fatigue showing on his face. He put a protective arm around her and she eased into his touch, anticipation flooding her body. She was ready to flee with Sheldon in her arms and never look back. She would never think again about what Marky had coming to him. She would only be grateful for Kurt's help, no matter how unforeseen it was, and focus on getting Sheldon better, as well as Junior. The couple turned to leave before Sheldon stopped in his tracks and met eyes with Rachel. "I can't believe you're really here," he said softly, his gaze fond as he appraised his old friend. Penny swallowed down her emotion and released her hold on him, allowing him to freely go to Rachel.

"I couldn't stand by and let this happen," she replied, tears accumulating at the brim of her eyes. "I am so sorry about what Rick did to you, Sheldon. We had no idea where he was or who he was with."

"I deserved this," Sheldon said, causing Penny to wilt with anguish.

"No," Rachel insisted as she took a step closer to him. "You never deserved any of this. You are destined for great things, Sheldon Lee. And now maybe you can finally move on."

"I never thanked you, Rachel," he whispered. "For being the first friend I ever had."

"You were my first friend, too," she laughed, a tear falling down. "You take care of yourself, Sheldon. I imagine this will be the last time we see each other." She looked over his shoulder at her brother. "You deserve to finally break free from us all." Penny watched as Rachel finally snuck a glance at her. "You take care of your girlfriend, too. Can't imagine anyone who could ever love you as much as she does." Her voice broke at the end of her sentence and she placed her hand flat on Sheldon's chest. He closed his eyes for a moment at her touch, and then she drew her hand back and gave him a weak smile before walking around him to join her brother on the mat.

Without another word, Sheldon grabbed Penny's hand and pulled her through the metal door, slamming it behind them as they fled just as the crowd of people gathered around Marky brought him to his very brutal end.

* * *

**A/N pt 2: The danger may be over, but the drama isn't. Stay tuned for the last two chapters of **_**Dissolve**_**! Thank you again so much for all of your support, encouragement, and patience. It's been a wild ride. ;]**


	18. Chapter 18

They arrived to the hospital by cab. The entire drive, Penny let tears fall silently, and for the quiet, Sheldon was grateful. He watched his hands tremble in his lap. He felt like he was unraveling.

He had the chance. He could've wrapped his fingers around Marky's thick neck and clamped down with all his might, never letting go even long after he saw the life leave his eyes. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the solution in a clear bottle that Kurt took from his bag. It was his secret weapon. A concoction he had created years ago when he was seeking ways for getting revenge on Kripke after humiliating him on NPR. But Leonard had talked him down, made him see reason. He saved the solution for another time. He had planned to use it to blind Marky permanently when he got the chance to squeeze the bottle directly into his eyes, thereby snuffing out any future prospects of Marky ever causing harm to anyone again by his own hand. Rolling down the window, Sheldon tossed the solution out and watched the bottle burst on the asphalt as they drove on.

He took a shaky breath and rolled the window back up. He had enough hatred in his heart, but profoundly, Sheldon knew he wasn't a killer. He did right by letting Rick and Kurt and the other men Marky had wronged have their way with him. He would surely be dead by now, and no one deserved a violent end more than that man.

The worst regret Sheldon had in all the time he spent spotting fights for Junior was hurting Rick and Rachel on his quest for victory. He closed his eyes tight as they burned. In a way, giving this chance to them set Sheldon free from his past sins. So why did he still feel like he was spinning out of control?

His eyes rolled downward, giving Penny a sideways glance. He could smell her skin, the sweet fragrance he craved. Her bare thigh was touching his pants, her arm was folded through his, bent at the elbow. She looked straight forward, out the windshield, and tears kept rolling down her face. He wanted to speak to her, say something that would put her at ease, but he was, for the first time in a long, at a loss for words. He put those tears in her eyes, him and this entire situation.

Where would they go from here? How could he ever be normal again for Penny? If he were ever normal before. Sheldon suddenly felt a wave of painful realization of the danger he put her in this past week. He told her he loved her last night, and he had never been more sure of anything. Sheldon wasn't an expert in situations like this, but did a man that loved a woman put her in high risk situations and expose her to the daunting world like he had done? He felt lower than low. His chest suddenly ached and he felt cold all over; perhaps Penny was better off with someone like Leonard. He was certain that his roommate would never cause her this much turmoil and fear.

The taxi finally slowed as it pulled in front of the hospital. Reading the meter on the dashboard, Sheldon yanked out some cash and handed it to the driver. Then he opened his door and climbed out, holding it open for Penny to follow.

"Let's get you checked out before we go see your brother," she said as the taxi drove away and they made their way inside. She reached up to touch his face but Sheldon winced and flinched away from her touch. He saw a flash of hurt pass over her face, but he ignored it.

"I need to see Junior," he protested, his legs picking up the pace as they entered the hospital lobby.

"Sheldon," Penny caught up with him, placing a hand on his forearm. "Please, your nose looks like it's broken."

"It is, but I'm fine. A nasal fracture can stand up to 10 hours of no treatment before surgery becomes an absolute necessity." Sheldon hated hospitals to begin with, the dangers of germs that lurked in every corner, staring at him, mocking him, but he truly wanted to see his brother. Plus, he didn't feel like being coddled by Penny at the moment because it would send him over the edge. He was very close to tears, and the ducts at the corner of his eyes burned, causing him to cry out as the tears prickled his swollen sinuses.

"What's wrong?" she asked, blocking his path. Her eyes and nose were red, and Sheldon found her, in this moment, painfully beautiful. But he stifled down his emotion and shrugged her off again. "Sheldon!" she demanded through gritted teeth. "Quit it. We're getting your face checked out and that's that."

"Stop talking to me like I'm a child," he snapped and took a step away from her. He was suddenly hit with a rush of déjà vu, of him in another lifetime, where he demanded from Rachel the same thing as they stood around a bonfire. Sheldon couldn't explain the sudden wave of emotions that were threatening to swallow him whole, but he just knew that he couldn't be around Penny when it happened.

"Why are you doing this?" her voice broke as she peered up at him with fresh tears that threatened to fall. She looked so small, so helpless.

Sheldon remembered he had hidden her wallet and reached into his pocket to pull out some of his money. He stuffed the bills into Penny's hand and looked away. "Please, Penny. Just go home." He swallowed and conjured all the strength he could muster to spit out his next sentence. "This is a family matter, and your presence here is unwarranted." His pivoted on his heel and turned his back on her as he made his way to the elevators. His heart was pounding so hard he could feel it in his ears as he pushed the 'UP' button. He allowed himself to look over his shoulder as the elevator descended.

He was pained to see that for the first time, Penny had not followed him.

* * *

Howard and Raj dumped the contents on their trays in the trash can and left the cafeteria.

"I know it's only been about a week but I already miss Leonard," Raj admitted as they headed down the halls of Caltech to head back to his office. "I wonder when we'll hear from him."

"Well, the reception out there will be close to non-existent," Howard said. "I doubt we'll hear any word at all, you know, unless the ship wrecks or he goes overboard."

"Dude!" Raj cried out. "Don't say stuff like that. Happy thoughts."

"Relax, I'm only kidding." Howard rolled his eyes as Raj shook his head. They turned the corner and headed down the hallway of the physics department. "I wonder what Sheldon's doing with all his time off."

"I kind of miss him, too."

"Please," Howard muttered. "Dr. Looney Tunes taking a vacation has felt like I'm on one, too." He looked up as they advanced down the hall and caught sight of a figure standing straight ahead. "Look, someone's waiting outside of Sheldon's office." He squinted as they came closer.

"Is that…" Raj began.

"Amy?" Howard finished. The figure turned at the sound of her name and relief sprawled across her face when she saw the two familiar men come into view.

"Howard, Raj!" She exhaled deeply. Her hair was tangled, her skin was pale, and her eyes were saggy with exhaustion. "Where's Sheldon?"

"He's not here. What are you doing back?" Howard asked.

"Not here? He's still not back at work?" Amy looked as though she was about to deflate. Her chin trembled. "He's not at the apartment either. I just came from there."

"Amy, when did you get in?" Raj asked.

"About an hour ago. I don't know if Bernadette has kept you in the loop, Howard, but Sheldon and Penny have refused to return any of my calls or messages. I have not heard from either of them in almost a week. After Sheldon told me he was sick, I was worried."

"Amy, that's like a 14 hour flight just to check in on Sheldon. If anything bad had happened, we would've called you," Howard assured her.

"Have you even talked to him?" Amy demanded. The two men fidgeted uncomfortably and shook their heads. "It's not like him to not return my calls. Of all of Sheldon's vexes, an unanswered phone is one that bothers him most." When the two men stared at her with blank faces, she added, "I know my boyfriend. And I'm really worried. Do you have any idea where he can be?"

"No," Raj answered guiltily. He turned to look at Howard. "Maybe it was a bad idea to leave him alone when he asked us to…"

"What?" Amy asked, taking a step closer to them. "He asked you to leave him alone?"

"Well, he took a vacation from the university for a week, and he asked that we not go by his apartment since he would be extremely busy," Howard supplied.

"A vacation? You mean it wasn't sick leave?"

"He wasn't sick when we saw him."

Raj looked uncomfortable. "Now I'm worried, too."

Amy shoved past them and began to walk down the hall towards the exit. "I have to go back to the apartment. I'll wait there all night if I have to," she called over her shoulder.

Howard shook his head as they watched her turn the corner and disappear. He wondered what the hell Sheldon and Penny had gotten into and if it had anything to do with the fact that nobody was watching them. He suddenly felt very guilty, too.

* * *

Bernadette removed her latex gloves and left the lab, grateful that another successful inspection had come and gone and her team was allowed to take the rest of the day off. She was eager to leave work early so she could surprise Howard with a fancy dinner. She entered her office, slipped out of her lab coat, and opened the top drawer of her desk to pull out her cell phone. She checked the screen for any missed calls or texts and saw none. A random thought of her friend Penny entered her mind; even after her visit a few nights ago where she promised to call her, Bernadette had yet to hear from her. Perhaps another visit to the apartment was in order. She didn't relish having to make the trip before she went home to Howie, but something about the way Penny looked when Bernadette found her in Sheldon's apartment struck her as odd. Coupled with the fact that Amy had been distraught that Sheldon hadn't answered her calls, Bernadette was officially suspicious. It was also a burden of secrecy she had been hiding from her husband, so she figured it would be better if she talked to Penny sooner than later before she spilled the beans.

Just as she picked up her purse and shut down her work laptop, she heard a knock on her door.

"Come in!" she called, hoping it wasn't a last minute request for her stay at work longer.

"Oh, good, this is the right office."

Bernadette's neck snapped up as she gaped at none other than Penny who was standing in her open doorway. "Penny! What are you doing here?"

"Hey, Bernadette," the blonde greeted her with a sniff as she stood awkwardly on the threshold. "I…I didn't know where else to go." She stepped closer, giving Bernadette a view of her tear-stained face and red blotches all over her skin.

"Oh, Penny!" The shorter blonde hurried over to her friend and wrapped an arm around her waist. "Sit down, tell me what's wrong." She led her to the chairs in front of her desk and they sat down next to each other as Penny began to cry softly into her hands.

"I've been lying to you, Bernadette," she said after a moment.

"About what?"

"About everything."

"If you're in trouble Penny, you have to tell me. How can I help?" When she didn't answer, Bernadette tried again. "Does this have to do with Sheldon?"

Penny's eyes flitted to Bernadette's quickly before she broke down again. She folded in half, her elbows bracing against her knees as sobs racked her body. Bernadette rubbed circles on her back with her hand, not knowing what else to do. She had begun to panic and was about to speak again when Penny murmured, "I love him. I love Sheldon."

Bernadette felt her heart come to a complete stop. Before she could ask her to clarify, Penny straightened her frame and started from the beginning.

* * *

Junior pressed the morphine button on his controller and waited impatiently for the medicine to course through his veins. The muscles in his abdomen were strained. He felt as though his ribs had been used as a punching bag. Like an alarm was ringing in his insides, the pain was unrelenting and thorough. Finally, his tongue began to tingle and his skin suddenly felt hot; the morphine had arrived. Just as he let his eyes flutter closed, he heard the door to his room creak open and the _swish_ of his privacy curtain. One of his eyes had the strength to open wide enough to see the tall, blurry outline of someone standing at the foot of his bed. He felt tears well up and he closed his eye again, squeezing his lids shut until a tear escaped and rolled down his cheek. He groaned, unable to move his mouth any more due to how sore it was from him talking all morning to Rachel.

"Shh," Sheldon whispered as he came closer. "It's me."

Junior groaned again and weakly lifted his hand, feeling around for Sheldon's. His little brother captured his fingers with his own and Junior began to weep. When he calmed down a moment later, he forced both of his eyes open so that he could see Sheldon for himself. Relief swept through him as he saw his blue eyes peer down at him, but the relief was quickly replaced by fury as Junior saw the dark bruising on either side of his nose, the dried blood that had caked the sides of his lips, the dark red welts on his neck.

"Uhck!" Junior crowed. _I'm going to fucking kill Kurt,_ he vowed to himself. "Are you 'kay?"

"Don't talk, Junior. You'll only aggravate your fractured jaw more. And yes, I'm alright."

"Kurt…"

"It's over, Junior. Kurt told me everything."

"'Arky."

"It's over," Sheldon repeated. Junior watched as Sheldon nodded slowly, meaningfully. "He's done."

Relief arrived again as Junior understood what Sheldon was saying. They were quiet for awhile, the air conditioning in the room humming loudly to fill the silence. "'Enny?"

Sheldon's face twisted into a grimace. Then he choked out a cry of pain. His hand let go of Junior's and shot up to his face, cradling it gently. "She's home. I sent her back to the apartment."

"You need a doctor," Junior said through gritted teeth, straining to speak clearly against the wires in his jaw. As Sheldon began to protest, he yanked on his remote and pressed the nurse button. "Yes. Doctor, then talk." A few minutes later, a nurse entered the room and her eyes immediately went to Sheldon's face. "He needs a doctor," Junior said to the older woman in scrubs who quickly went to Sheldon's side.

"Come on, dear. Let's go get you checked out. How did you get these injuries?" she asked as she herded Sheldon out of the room.

"I…got into a fight," he answered, and Junior narrowed his eyes as his brother looked back over his shoulder at him and gave him a lopsided smile that could have easily been an exact replica of his own. "You should see the other guy."

* * *

An hour later, Sheldon was prescribed with some pain medication and his nose had been realigned without surgery then packed with gauze. Luckily, he had no other breaks around his body, regardless of the beating he had taken, and he soon found himself by Junior's bed side again. He waited until his older brother had woken up from a morphine-induced nap then watched him be fed liquids before they were finally alone. He relayed the entire story for Junior, sparing no detail, and watched as his brother relaxed visibly, for now they both knew that the nightmare was finally over after sixteen years. Sheldon then listened as Junior apologized over and over again for plotting with Kurt behind his back, but did it because he hadn't wanted to involve him or Penny any further.

"Is 'enny okay?" he asked after a long silence.

"She is unharmed," Sheldon said, his head down. He tried to quickly change the subject. "Should I call mom or Missy? We can say you were hit by a car. You resemble the survivor of an assault by automobile."

"Sure, then she'll see your face and 'reak my jaw again."

Sheldon smiled ruefully and nodded in agreement. Mary Cooper would not be called today. "Very well."

"Sheldon," Junior commanded his attention and when their eyes met, he continued. "'Enny?"

"I told you. She's back home," Sheldon insisted. "Where she belongs."

"No," Junior said. "Here. She 'elongs here."

"I can't do this with Penny anymore," Sheldon said softly as he looked down at his hands in his lap. "I'm not…she deserves stability and I'm in no position to give that to her. I don't even know who I am anymore." He stood up and took a few steps towards the window. The sun was brightly shining over the palm trees that lined the property of the hospital. "This morning, I wasn't Dr. Sheldon Cooper, physicist. This morning, I dissolved into the very life I have been trying to put behind me. I was the cold shell of a person that was created for your benefit. For Marky's. And Penny came after me. She could've been killed." He leaned forward until his forehead rested against the window. "I can't live with that. Whenever I see her face, it will remind me of what I've put her through." He bit his lower lip. "Leonard can give her what she deserves. He can make her happy." Even as he said it, he knew it was a lie. He had watched Penny be unhappy for a long time with Leonard. The passion she had shown Sheldon in the last week had never surfaced before then. His roommate never brought that out of her. But still, she would be safe. That's what Sheldon felt mattered most.

If life could return back to normal, if they could all fall back into routine, maybe these feelings churning deep down inside of him would be squelched. He would leave her alone and go back to work and lose himself in science, the one thing that remained constant.

He loved Penny enough to let her go. No matter how much pain it caused him in the process.

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a scratching noise. Sheldon turned around and his eyes widened as he saw Junior sitting upright in bed, scribbling down a message with a pencil on a notepad that was moments ago sitting on the food tray beside him. He waited quietly for a few minutes as Junior finished writing, ripped the paper off of the pad, and thrust it in Sheldon's direction. His face was creased in irritation as Sheldon took the paper and read it aloud.

"After 16 years, I have been racking my brain wondering how I could ever do right by you again. Now I know. Your fancy degrees mean nothing. If you let Penny go, you are a dumb ass." He paused, noted the way Junior underlined _dumb ass, _then shot him a dirty look before continuing. "I ruined your past but I will not let you ruin your future. You are not a cold shell of a person. You deserve to be happy with her." Sheldon finished reading and set the paper down back on the food tray.

"I will heal," Junior spoke slowly. "Just some …b-broken bones." He drew in a sharp breath, working hard to make his lips form around the letters and pronounce each word clearly. "If you let her go, you will never heal."

Sheldon crumpled into his chair and gingerly held his head in his hands. It hurt like hell to cry, but soon the tears poured out, dampening the gauze plastered on his nose as they poured over his bruises. "Everything will change," he murmured.

"Change is good."

"Change is terrifying," Sheldon disagreed, shaking his head from side to side. "I told her I loved her, Junior."

"Did you mean it?"

"With every fiber of my being."

"Then go tell her again. I'll be here when you get back."

Sheldon stood slowly. Every step he took closer to the door, closer to Penny, his heart hurt a little less. This is what he had been trying to avoid his whole life. _Feelings. _If he didn't know any better, he would've thought it was possible to succumb and perish to heartache. He gave his brother one last look before he turned around and left.

Maybe he didn't know who he was anymore, maybe his framework was crumbling. But even Sheldon understood that sometimes you have to tear all the walls down so you can rebuild.

* * *

Penny didn't know if telling Bernadette was the right thing to do. But she felt the weight lift off of her shoulders as soon as she did. Bernadette remained quiet most of the time, and at one point had even shown disappointment in Penny for betraying Leonard and Amy, but when Penny told her about the dangerous events of that morning, Bernadette had been appropriately concerned and supportive.

"Although I don't agree with what you and Sheldon have done, Penny, I can't say that I'm surprised," she had finally said when Penny was done talking.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"There's always been an energy between you and Sheldon that bordered on romantic, I guess. To be honest, watching you two fight kind of looked like some feisty foreplay to me."

"I swear to you, Bernadette. Sheldon and I _never _planned on this happening. This is as shocking to me as it is to you. But it's real. I _love _him."

"Oh, Penny," Bernadette said softly as she twiddled her thumbs in her lap. "What are you going to do?"

"He turned me away at the hospital. I don't know what to do…I know he's pushing me away because he's afraid, but Bernadette, I can't turn back now. I can't go home and wait for Leonard to get back then jump into his arms, pretending that none of this ever happened."

"You have a long road ahead of you, Penny. When Amy and Leonard find out…this is going to change all of us."

"I know," Penny cried. "I hate that I'm doing this to you all, but I just had no one else to talk to. I'm sorry."

"I'm always here for you, Penny. I'm just glad you are okay and Sheldon is okay, too, especially after what happened this morning. I promise I won't say anything to Howard until this is all figured out." Penny nodded appreciatively as Bernadette continued. "Let's get you home and tomorrow I'll come over and we'll talk about this some more." The two women got up and left the office. Penny was grateful as Bernadette drove her home where she planned to down an entire bottle of wine and pass out. She felt as though she hadn't slept in days. But somehow, deep down, she knew that without Sheldon by her side, she wouldn't sleep a wink. As they drove, Penny almost asked Bernadette to turn around and take her back to the hospital, but Sheldon's words rang in her mind. _This is a family matter, and your presence here is unwarranted._ She decided to be strong and give him some space. When they pulled up to the apartment, Bernadette offered to walk her up to her place.

"No, it's okay," Penny assured her. "Thank you for taking me home. And again, I'm so sorry for unloading all of this on you."

"Don't be sorry, I'm your friend. That's why I'm here. And please, Penny, don't go involving yourself in anymore dangerous behavior. No matter what happens with you and Sheldon and where you two go from here, it would be nothing compared to if either of you were hurt. _That _would be the worst thing that could happen."

"Thanks, Bernie. I'll call you tomorrow." Penny leaned in and hugged her friend tight, gave her a weak smile, then climbed out of the car. She walked inside and trudged up the stairs slowly. By the second floor, Penny was crying again. She suddenly hated that she had ever agreed to going out with Leonard. She hated that she ever suggested Sheldon take his relationship with Amy to the next level by going out on a date. She hated herself more than she ever had in her life. She always made everything so complicated. Was hurting her friends worth being with Sheldon?

She shook her head as if to rid herself of the doubt. It was out of her hands now. Her feelings for Sheldon were bare and would never go away. She was so lost in thought by the time she reached the fourth floor, she almost walked right past the unexpected guest who was pacing in front of apartment 4A. "Oh, my God. Amy."

* * *

Sheldon saw Bernadette's car pulling away as soon as his cab stopped in front of his building. He paid the driver and jumped out, curiosity burning him. What was she doing here? Was Penny alright? Fear threatened to paralyze him so he forced his legs to hurry into the apartment lobby then took the steps two at a time. If something had happened to Penny and the last words Sheldon had ever uttered to her was a demand that she go away, he didn't know how he could live on. As he reached the third floor landing, his ears perked up as a pair of familiar voices caught his attention. He slowly turned the corner and walked the rest of the way up to the fourth floor and his jaw nearly unhinged. Before him was Penny who was safe and sound…and conversing with a distraught looking Amy Farrah Fowler.

"Amy?" he asked, his voice high and shrill.

"Sheldon!" she whirled around at the sound of her name. She rushed him, wrapping her arms around his waist and pressing her body to his. Her familiar smell of dandruff shampoo and fabric softener invaded his nostrils. He kept his arms straight at his sides as he looked over Amy's head and watched Penny as she slowly walked backward towards her apartment. When she reached the door, she leaned back against it, returning his intense stare. She looked as though she had lost a very long, drawn-out war.

"Amy," Sheldon repeated himself, his eyes never leaving Penny. "What are you doing here?"

"I was so worried about you, Sheldon," Amy's voice was muffled as she pressed her face into his chest. "You told me you were sick but then you hadn't answered any of my calls, and I just had to come see for myself if you were alright." She released her embrace around him and held him at arm's length, studying his face intently. "Penny just told me you were robbed on the way to work one day, that's why you took an extended vacation and your cell phone was stolen, which is why you hadn't returned any of my calls. I am so sorry that this happened to you, honey."

Sheldon had been trying to process the blatant lies Penny had obviously told Amy to cover him, but he visibly recoiled from Amy when the word _honey _left her lips. She had never used an affectionate moniker for him before, and he detested it. He watched as Amy looked hurt from his moving away from her, but it quickly passed.

"I'm just glad you're okay, Sheldon. I am so sorry that happened to you. I wish you had found some way to tell me though."

"You shouldn't have come back," Sheldon heard himself say. He looked down at Amy as her eyebrows furrowed. "You came back for nothing. I'm alright."

"Come on, Sheldon," she said as she placed a hand on his forearm. "Unlock the door so we can go inside and make some tea." She turned around and threw a grateful glance in Penny's direction. "Thank you for taking care of him, Penny. I'll take it from here."

Sheldon's eyes flitted to Penny who nodded in response, smoothed her hair behind her ear, and smiled weakly at Sheldon. "I'll be here if you two need anything." She swallowed hard and finally turned away to unlock her door and slipped inside, disappearing from Sheldon's view. He almost protested aloud and had to keep his arm from reaching out to her. His gaze remained fixed on Penny's closed door for a few moments before he felt Amy poke his arm.

"Unlock the door, Sheldon," she urged him. "Let me in."

Her words rattled in his brain as his eyes went back and forth from Amy to Penny's door and back to his girlfriend.

* * *

Penny closed the door and pressed her back to the cold frame. She slid all the way down until her butt hit the floor and hugged her knees to her chest. Seeing Amy had felt like an electric shock of guilt. She had hopped a plane and flew home just to be here for Sheldon. It meant that she was in the air while Penny rolled around in bed with Sheldon the night before. The realization of what she had done felt like taking a bullet. She concocted a story on her toes that would explain Sheldon's injuries, but didn't expect him to appear as quickly as he did. She wasn't prepared to see his face. And she definitely wasn't prepared for the aching in her chest when she saw Amy embrace him tightly.

She finally understood the consequences of their behavior. The moment Sheldon touched Penny's lips with his, someone was always going to get hurt. Penny laughed out loud without humor as she realized she had pulled the short stick.

Amy was home and Sheldon would have her because it was the right thing to do. And Leonard would come home in four months and Penny would have him because it was the right thing to do. She knew this now.

As she sat on the floor, she heard the sound of Sheldon's door closing and began to contemplate what life would be like without him. She jumped as the door suddenly rattled beneath her back at the sound of a familiar pounding.

_Knock, knock, knock. _"Penny?"

* * *

**A/N pt 2: Stay tuned for the conclusion! FYI: We have not seen the last of Junior. Not by a long shot. ;]**


	19. Epilogue

**A/N: Here it is. The end. Teeears. I'm gonna miss these characters and I'm going to miss all of you! I promise, this won't be my last Shenny. I've got a lot of ideas (most of them as twisted as this one) in store for these two. :] **

**First of all, what an amazing experience for my first Big Bang fan fiction. I started this story at the beginning of the hiatus, hoping to just entertain myself while we wait for season 7, but it became so much more—it became important to me that I write something to be proud of and would be enjoyed by all of you. I can't believe I wrote over 100K words! And I loved every second of it.**

**So this last chapter is dedicated to all of you who have reviewed since day one (a special shout out to my guest reviewers whom I wish I could message and thank personally!) and everyone who has offered their kind words and encouragement along the way. Thank you so much for giving this crazy premise a chance and welcoming my original characters with open arms (I know George Jr. technically isn't my original character, but I hope I created an enjoyable personality for you all to enjoy. Thanks to the show's writers for installing the nugget of possibilities, hehe).**

**Enjoy the conclusion. This one's for you! :]**

**P.S. Yes, I did cry while writing this chapter. Hard.**

* * *

_Four months later._

Leonard leaned over the conveyer belt between two other people and grabbed his enormous duffel bag. Securing the strap over his shoulder, he hobbled over to the benches near baggage claim and dropped the bag on the bucket seats. He stretched until he felt something pop in his lower back. It felt so good to be back on land. After nearly 4 months of seasickness and no contact with anyone back home the entire time, a long plane ride was a small price to pay to finally find himself back in sunny California. But he would never forget his expedition because now, one thing was for sure: he was an accomplished physicist that could very well be on the path for a Nobel Prize. Not that he was counting on it as much as his loony roommate might be, but Leonard and his team had high hopes after the results of their research were published.

He thought of Sheldon fondly and a smile came to his face. Yes, he missed Penny and the guys, but he felt oddly excited to see his best friend. Leonard hoped that he wouldn't allow his jealousy to get in the way of all the exciting stories he was dying to tell him. Only Sheldon could truly appreciate the leaps in science that Leonard had made during the summer.

The night before when he was staying in a hotel before his flight, he tried plugging in his cell phone to call home, but the stupid iPhone crapped out on him after not having been turned on in four months. He figured it had to do with misuse almost as much as the fact that it got banged around a lot during the turbulent voyage while it sat in his trunk at the foot of his cot. He tried to shoot off an e-mail to Sheldon with the hotel lobby's communal computers to let him know that he would be home tomorrow but the internet system was down.

He reached into his back pocket and fished out his wallet, inspecting it for cash. Without a working cell phone, Leonard figured he would just hail a cab outside and head back to the apartment to surprise his roommate and girlfriend.

He walked outside into the unexpected drizzle. The clouds were thick above him and he looked up as a cab pulled up to the curb, grateful once again to be back on the ground. The drive to the apartment took longer than he desired; traffic in Los Angeles was hell in itself. He paid the cabbie, climbed out of the car, and yanked open the front door to the apartment building, where the AC pumping into the small lobby immediately blasted him with cool air. He welcomed it with a goofy grin. The smell of home enveloped him and for the first time since he broke the sole elevator at 2311 Los Robles, he gratefully trekked up four flights of stairs without complaint before he arrived at apartment 4A.

"Sheldon, I'm home, buddy!" Leonard called as he turned the key, twisted the brass knob and pushed the door open, lugging his bag inside with him. The apartment was dark and uninhabited. He tossed his keys into the bowl near the door and stood still for a moment before glancing at his watch. It was an early Friday evening and Sheldon would have been home by now, if not eating Chinese food then at least huddled around the coffee table playing vintage video games with Raj and Howard. He looked at Sheldon's spot on the couch by impulse. Shrugging, he turned and left the apartment, closing the door behind him. He strolled happily up to Penny's door and gave it a few jovial knocks with both of his fists. He placed his thumb on the peephole and waited for her to answer. A few moments later, he heard shuffling on the other side and the sound of the bolt being turned. He plastered a huge grin on his face and opened his mouth to say, "Surprise!" but was taken aback by what he saw when the door opened.

"Can I help you?" the man asked, a toothbrush hanging out of his mouth.

It wasn't the fact that it was a man, a very muscular, tall, tattoo-covered man, who was dressed in nothing but a white towel slung around his waist, accentuating a very intimidating six pack that Leonard was nearly eye-level with that surprised him. No, it was the striking familiarity of the stranger, particularly the bright blue of his round eyes that were assessing Leonard carefully, that nearly knocked him off his feet.

"Who…who are you?"

The man pulled the toothbrush out of his mouth. "You knocked on my door, hoss. You first."

"I'm Leonard –" he brought his hands to his chest, clasping his fingers together, then leaned to the left to get a look at the door. "This is apartment 4B, right?"

"Last time I checked."

"Then this isn't your apartment!" Leonard watched as the man pursed his lips together and cocked his head to the side, gracing him with a haughty look of…_Is that…derision?_

"Tell that to the landlord," the man drawled as Leonard's heart began to race. "He's the one who keeps charging me to live here. Anything else?"

Leonard turned and looked over his shoulder at his closed door. _Where is Sheldon? _He slowly brought his gaze back to the man in front of him. "But…where's Penny?" He watched as the stranger's face fell and the skin between his eyebrows puckered, almost like he was giving him a look of pity.

"You're _that_ Leonard," he said softly.

"Yes, I suppose I am." Leonard adjusted his glasses before crossing his arms. Panic started to sprawl over his chest, threatening to clench his lungs. "Look, can you please just tell me what's going on? Where is my girlfriend, the woman who lives, er, lived here?" He had the sudden urge to flee to his apartment and grab the inhaler from his duffel bag.

"Why don't you come in, Leonard," the man stepped away from the threshold and waved his massive arm to the black leather couch in the center of the living room.

"No! Where's Penny?" Leonard took one look at the unfamiliar furniture and arrangement of the apartment and felt his lungs constrict. He took a large step back, away from the stranger.

The man placed both of his hands on his hips, studying Leonard with a thoughtful look. "You want a beer? Let's go get a beer. I don't keep any in the house. I'll go get dressed then we'll go. My treat."

"Look, I'm about five seconds away from calling the cops…"

"I didn't hurt Penny, she's fine," the man said. "She just…she's not here."

"Three seconds…"

"I'm George. George Cooper."

Leonard began to blink at a rapid pace. "Huh?"

"Sheldon's brother?" George tried again. "Your cuckoo roommate?"

"Yes, I know who Sheldon is…wait, you live _here_ in Penny's apartment now? Where does Penny live?" As if answering his own question, he turned around again and looked at his door. Then he returned his eyes to George.

"I'm guessing you want that beer now?"

* * *

Four months ago, Sheldon Cooper set fire to his life.

"Let me in," Amy told him. He ushered her into his apartment and instead of offering her a beverage after her long flight, he found himself bursting at the seams to be rid of her. He tried so hard to shut the dam, but it all came rushing out.

"Amy, I regret to inform you that I wish to terminate our relationship." Sheldon was never one for sugar-coating.

"What?" her face fell and she grasped the strap of her purse across her chest, her knuckles white. "Sheldon, are you serious?"

"I am so sorry, Amy. But I am not in love with you. Romantic love was a concept I had never bothered comprehending until it finally happened to me. I am in love with Penny." He paused as Amy gasped, bringing both of her hands to her mouth. "I apologize for the pain this may cause you…" He began to reach out to her, the raw emotion on her face causing his resolve to weaken. When he took a step closer to her, she slapped his hand away. He winced at the sharp pain and watched her carefully.

"Don't you touch me. How could you do this to me?" her voice rang out, filling the silence of the apartment.

"I didn't do this _to _you, Amy. This wasn't supposed to happen. If you'll let me explain..."

"No, Sheldon!" She pushed past him and yanked the door wide open before turning one last time to face him. "I gave you three years of my life. You want to talk about things that were not supposed to happen? Me falling in love with you." Her voice broke and she looked at the floor. "I don't ever want to see either of you ever again."

"Amy –" He was interrupted by the slamming of the door, and he stared at it for a few moments, the rattling of the doorframe sounding in his ears.

Watching Amy go was like the splash of cold water on the flames that extinguished that part of his life. From the smoke and ashes rose what came next. He took a few steadying breaths before opening his door and walked slowly to Penny's apartment. He raised his fist and began to knock.

_Knock, knock, knock. _"Penny?"

_Knock, knock, knock. _"Penny?"

_Knock, knock, knock. _"Penny?"

On his last round of knocking, he heard something scrape across the floor. Then the bolt unlocked and Penny slowly opened the door, revealing only half of her face. Her cheeks were red and her emerald eye was moist. If it was the last thing he could ever do, he would be sure to never inflict this much pain on her ever again. "I understand if you stay with Amy, Sheldon," she croaked, catching him off guard. "She loves you. She crossed an ocean for you today."

Sheldon placed his large hand flat on Penny's door and pushed it open gently, causing her entire body to come into view. He felt his own body react to the sight of her, the pure carnal knowledge of her figure, and all reservations and doubts rose into the atmosphere and floated away, much like the smoke from the ashes of his past. He advanced on Penny, closing the door behind him as confusion crossed her features. For every step he took towards her, she took one back. Soon, they were in her bedroom.

"What are you doing?" she asked, finally stopping. "Where's Amy?"

"Amy crossed an ocean for a man she has had an idea of for the last three years," Sheldon said softly, his voice low and deep. "Today, she met the real Sheldon Cooper. The man who is irrevocably in love with Penny, the girl next door."

"Sheldon…" Penny eyed him warily. He watched her shoulders hunch as she closed in on herself, her guilt getting the best of her. Perhaps Sheldon should feel guilt as well? But he didn't. What he felt was the tightening of his skin, the burning desire to consume her. He closed the gap between them in two steps and wrapped one long arm around her body, pulling her to him, letting her feel all of him and what she was doing to him. His hand lowered until it found his favorite spot, the bottom of her hip. His other hand reached up and wiped the fresh tears from her face as realization came over her.

"Last week you made a promise to me that you would never leave me. I think it's about time I made the same promise to you." His free hand traveled down her cheek to the graceful slope of her neck and he rested it at the base, letting his fingers massage her shoulder. She purred beneath his touch, and it was all he could do not to forget his sore body and broken nose and take her on the bed right then and there. They groaned in unison as his obvious arousal pressed into her stomach. His hand rubbed over her chest, sliding down the valley of her breasts until it reached her abdomen. He couldn't keep his touch pure. Soon, his fingers were under her shirt and he rubbed the skin of her belly tenderly. "I love you, Penny. And I will never leave your side again. For as long as you'll have me. What do you think of that?"

"One certain phrase comes to mind," she breathed after a moment of silence. He pressed his lips to her neck and could feel her pulse race beneath them, a tiny tremor that coupled with her dilated pupils informed Sheldon that she felt the same way as he did.

"And what phrase is that?" He brought his face up to hers, carefully positioning his lips right in front of her mouth, poised to attack as she continued.

"Innate behavior," she whispered. He grinned before pressing his mouth to hers and ran his tongue along the plump skin of her lips on pure instinct, stabilizing both of their environments to what they saw fit.

After the smoke cleared, the damage that took only 7 days to create was assessed.

Amy returned to Cambridge and never came back, regardless of Bernadette's pleas and Penny's attempts to reach out to her. She eventually stopped taking calls from Bernadette all together, and sadly never surfaced in Pasadena again.

Sheldon mourned the loss of his friend Amy; it cut him deeply. It didn't help that his social group had taken a direct hit to their heart when news broke about him and Penny. Raj and Bernadette were the quietest on the matter, only expressing their hope that Sheldon and Penny were happy. Howard was irate and the least quiet. He called Sheldon every two-timing, rat bastard name in the book, and looked down at Penny with disgust and betrayal.

"What about Leonard?" was his main method of attack. It took weeks for him to even agree to coming around the couple again and it was under the pretense that Bernadette forced him by withholding sex. She also made him see that the group needed to be strong for when Leonard came back. He would need all of their support. Howard stuck it out and finally started talking to Sheldon and Penny again, but made it very clear that if it came to falling on sides, he would take Leonard's in a heartbeat.

Two weeks after his attack, Junior was released from Huntington Hospital and into Sheldon's 'custody', as he liked to put it. He wasn't allowed to leave the apartment without telling 'the warden' where he was going. He was not to have a sip of alcohol until his antibiotics were complete to ward off any infection. He was not to step foot in a ring ever again.

A few days after he stashed it in an alley (luckily it had not been towed), Junior told Penny where her car was. He explained that he only withheld the information at first because he was afraid he had been followed. Now that the nightmare with Marky was over, she was free to retrieve it. And now that Junior was out of the hospital, he spent his days working on her engine and finally, one late-July evening, he bounded up the steps to apartment 4A and greeted the couple with a wide smile.

"Your 'check engine' light is off."

Two months later, Junior had begun to feel restless. With Penny's help, he got a job bartending at the Cheesecake Factory and enrolled in community college to study business, much to Sheldon's delight. Not that he believed Pasadena Community College had any actual academic merit, but it was a step up from bare-knuckle fist fighting around a bonfire in East Texas. When Junior suggested one day that he move out of the apartment, sick of staying in Leonard's tiny bed, Sheldon was hesitant to let him out of his sight, and Penny knew this.

"Why don't you stay in my apartment until you can find your own place?" she offered. Sheldon was working on an equation on his whiteboard and whirled around, piercing Penny with a stunned glare.

"Really?" Junior asked, his face lighting up.

"On one condition. Your brother gives me a place to stay." She stood up from her seat on the couch and walked over to Sheldon, gazing up at the physicist as she batted her eyelashes.

"Well, let's see." Sheldon capped his marker and set it down. "You're here on a daily basis already."

"And a nightly basis," Junior added with a wink. He was pointedly ignored as Sheldon continued.

"Your culinary skills are subpar but I already have an allotted schedule from where I order food all seven nights a week." He crossed his arms and paced, his face thoughtful.

"You sound like you're trying to talk yourself out of letting me live here, Sheldon," Penny fussed, crossing her own arms.

"No," Sheldon protested as he stopped pacing and turned to face her. "On the contrary, I've thought about this from all angles long before today. I can't find a single reason why you shouldn't live with me."

Penny's smile was like the sun breaking the horizon. And so the move progressed, and after a few weeks, Penny had begun to sell her furniture and signed the lease over to Junior, allowing him to make a real home out of the apartment across the hall from his brother, his friend.

Every night, Penny and Sheldon fell asleep together. Sometimes they went to bed angry because Penny left a speck of toothpaste in the sink, or because Sheldon had deleted one of her reality shows on the DVR without asking. Sometimes they bumped heads about money, or lack thereof. Sometimes Sheldon resisted the massive changes that their relationship was enduring, or Penny became irrationally enraged when she was menstruating. Sometimes they took out their worry and stress about Leonard's eventual return on each other.

But every night without failure, Sheldon climbed into bed and extended his arm to Penny's side before closing his eyes. Sometimes they would make love, ravish each other like it was the first time every time and until neither of them could move a muscle. Sometimes he was already asleep when Penny snuggled up to his body. But even in the deepest realms of his REM cycle, he knew she was there, and would always be.

* * *

_28 years earlier. _

They were in the last leg of summer, the day before autumn began. The sun was low in the sky, creating a dark blue with pink swirls ether above the house. Meemaw sat both of her favorite boys down on the porch swing as the elder one scowled and the younger one whimpered. Their identical blue eyes gazed up at her, waiting for the punishment to be dealt. "What in the _hell_ gave you the idea that this was okay?"

"It was my idea, Meemaw," George Jr. admitted, raising his scrawny, milky arm. His face was lined with sweat. "Shelly just came along for the ride. Dad was giving him a hard time again this morning and he hasn't left my side since."

"Junior you are 9 years-old but don't you ever believe you're getting too big for an ass-whooping," Meemaw warned. "You could've gotten yourself killed, your brother, too! What were you thinking?"

"I'm sorry, Meemaw," the younger boy wailed. "I had my seatbelt on. I made Junior fasten his, as well."

"Shelly, I'm glad you thought of safety first, but what you and your brother did? Joyriding in Pop Pop's pick-up? That was very, very wrong."

"Aww, come on, Shelly," George Jr. groaned and rolled his eyes as the young boy continued to swallow air and holler, just like he did every time he got into trouble. "That's enough."

Meemaw relaxed her pose and watched George Jr. as he forgot about his angry grandmother for a moment and consoled his little brother.

"You're gonna be fine. Meemaw loves us and forgives us. You're a good boy, Shelly." George Jr.'s dirt-stained fingers gently patted Sheldon's shaggy hair as he hiccupped and began to relax.

"Am I still your sidekick, Junior?" Sheldon asked, looking up with red-rimmed eyes. Meemaw's heart melted a little.

"You sure are. But no more adventures in the Batmobile anymore. When we go home we can play something else."

"Can we continue my research on electromagnetism for my paper?" Sheldon blinked the last of his tears away, watching his big brother expectantly.

"Er, sure." George Jr. turned and looked up at his grandmother as if just remembering she was there. "I'm really sorry, Meemaw. It will never happen again."

"Sheldon," Meemaw said, keeping her eyes on George Jr. "Run inside and go to the kitchen table. There's some dirty silver ready to be polished and a rag with your name on it."

"Yes ma'am," Sheldon said miserably, jumping up from the swing and disappearing inside. Not a minute later, the two people on the porch heard the young boy call out, "Meemaw, this rag does not have my name on it. Should I use it or search for another one with a monogram of my name?" He waited for a moment. "I'll just use this one." After a few seconds of silence, Meemaw shook her head and joined Junior on the porch swing.

"I know your father is a son-of-a-bitch, Junior. But you can't keep acting out every time he pisses you off."

"I saw him dangle Sheldon by the scruff of his neck today, Meemaw. Like he was some damn jungle cat."

"I know I cuss like a sailor, but watch your language, boy." She caught her grandson's eye and gave him a stern look for a few moments then winked.

"Sorry. I just had to get out of there. And take Sheldon with me."

"You're very protective by nature, Junior. Your heart is filled with good intentions. But you can't drag Sheldon with you every time you're in the mood to raise some hell. It's not good for him." They met eyes for a few heartbeats before they turned and watched the sky. After the call of a mockingbird in the tree right nearby, George Jr. spoke again.

"I feel like I was born with something bad inside of me." All was quiet for a moment and when he opened his mouth to say more, he was hushed by the feel of his grandmother's warm arms around him, squeezing tightly. He was going to ask her to ease up a little because his ribs were being crushed, but stopped when he heard her sniffle.

"There is not a bad bone in your body. You're a little hard-headed. And I see a future where you make mistakes, lots of them—we all do. But the love you have for your family, especially for Sheldon who needs you most, it trumps all. You are his big brother before anything else. Don't ever forget who you are, Junior."

"I won't, Meemaw," he said, returning her embrace. He patted her shoulder just like he had patted Sheldon's head moments before. "I won't."

* * *

_Present day._

Penny balanced the tray with four plates of food and maneuvered through the busy dining room of the Cheesecake Factory, avoiding other wait staff balancing their own trays all throughout. She made it to her table and carefully set the tray down on the stand already set up for her. "Alright," she said cheerfully, grabbing the hot plates first. "Chicken fried steak _drowning_ in white gravy for Bernadette."

"Thank you," her friend squeaked.

"Triple cheese pizza for Raj."

"Yum!" Raj rubbed his hands together as Penny set the plate down in front of him.

"A large chicken Caesar salad for Howard." She placed the large bowl down in front of Howard who smiled gratefully at her for a moment, never really meeting her eyes. Howard hardly ever made time to meet Penny's eyes these days. But she understood. She bit back the small ounce of sadness and reached for the last plate on her tray. "And last but not least, one barbeque bacon cheeseburger, barbeque sauce, bacon, and cheese on the side. Ladies and gentlemen, this is a special barbeque bacon cheeseburger. Because it's Friday. Not Tuesday." She placed the plate on the table and leaned in flirtatiously, waggling her eyebrows at her boyfriend. "Baby steps."

"I would hardly call this burger special being that I can tell you scraped the sauce off the bun, just like you do every time I order it, probably because you forgot to tell the cooks I like my barbeque sauce on the side, _just_ like you do every time I order it. In order for this to be a special barbeque bacon cheeseburger, you would have to have actually gotten my order correct." Sheldon sighed deeply and looked down at his food with disappointment.

"I love you too, sweetie." Penny rolled her eyes. "Dig in, guys. I'll be back in a few minutes to check up on you." She winked at Sheldon who grudgingly rewarded her with a sideways smile before munching on a French fry. She turned around to go check on her other tables when two people who were standing at the entrance of the restaurant caught her eye. Her good mood was suddenly drained from her body and her heart palpitated.

Standing just twenty feet away was Leonard Hofstadter. He had a long, scraggly beard, similar to the one he sported when he returned from the North Pole over three years ago. The parts of his face that weren't covered by his beard were red from windburn. He eyed Penny with a complete look of loss and defeat. And right by his side was George Cooper, Jr. Penny figured that the cat was now officially out of the bag. "Oh, God," she muttered to herself, rooted to the spot. She didn't know if Leonard had come to make a scene so she was torn between walking over to him herself or calling for Sheldon. Seconds later, as if he heard her thoughts, Sheldon appeared by her side.

"Penny, I'll take care of this." He brushed his hand against hers before stepping in front of her.

"Did you know he was coming back today?"

"No, but it has been four months since his departure. It was only a matter of time that he would return." As soon as he finished speaking, Penny looked over his shoulder to see that Leonard was now headed straight for them with Junior tailing him closely, looking as though he was ready to subdue him at any moment. Not that it would be hard to do so, being that Leonard looked comically tiny next to Sheldon's brother. "Go back to the table with the others," Sheldon urged her quietly.

"No," she shook her head. "We're in this together. Always." She closed her eyes as Sheldon brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled warmly at her.

"Always," he echoed. Then he turned around and faced Leonard as he timidly walked up to the pair.

Penny shot a quick look over her shoulder and saw Howard, Bernadette and Raj staring right back at her with wide eyes. She swallowed and faced forward in time for Leonard to stop in front of them. "Leonard. I'm so glad you're home and that you're okay!" She hoped the sincerity of her statement overshadowed her dread that was plain to see on her face. She did not want to have this conversation in public. She knew that this would happen eventually, but she had foolishly hoped that she would be prepared for it.

"I'm home, yes," Leonard started carefully, eyeing both her and Sheldon warily. "But if I'm okay? That's debatable."

"I see you've met my brother," Sheldon said slowly, giving Junior a meaningful glare. "I'm glad you're home, Leonard." Penny looked up at Sheldon as the genuine sentiment left his mouth.

"Are you?" Leonard dared, one of his eyebrows perched high. The air became tenser and Penny bit her lip.

As the silence dragged on, Junior cleared his throat and stepped in. "Alright, guys. What do you say we take this outside? Penny's on the clock, we don't want her getting into trouble."

"I don't have much to say, so I want to get this off my chest now," Leonard said, his voice taut. He looked up at Penny before switching to Sheldon. Taking a deep breath, his face relaxed slightly. "Sheldon. Your brother told me everything. About what happened four months ago to you and him. I want you to know that I'm really sorry that all of that happened to you, in your past as well. I couldn't even begin to imagine what any of that was like for your growing up." He bunched his lips together as though it was hard for him to continue. "That being said, I understand that Penny was there for you during a very difficult time and what happened between you guys is not something I'm exactly thrilled about. But I have to know: is this for real?"

"What do you mean?" Sheldon asked, his own eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"I mean…" Leonard stopped and turned to look at Penny, right in her eyes. "Do you love him, Penny?"

Penny could shout her love for Sheldon from the rooftops any day of the week, any time of the year to anybody who would listen. She was over the moon, even months after they solidified their relationship, and totally enamored. But with Leonard's eyes pleading for her to say the opposite, to somehow admit that this was just a fling, a mistake, Penny felt her will crumble. She loved Sheldon and only Sheldon of course, but she didn't want to hurt anyone else, not after what happened with Amy. She realized she was taking awhile to answer and that Sheldon was now peering down at her with worry plastered across his features. She returned his gaze and took his hand, squeezed it reassuringly, and nodded at him. Then she looked at Leonard and faced her fears. "Yes, Leonard. I'm in love with Sheldon. The circumstances aren't ideal, and I will never _ever _forgive myself for hurting people in the process, but this is real." Her grasp on Sheldon's hand remained firm as he gave her fingers the tiniest of squeezes.

Every passing second seemed to be a bucket of cement poured onto Leonard's shoulders as he wilted under her words. "Are you happy?"

This particular question caused her eyes to water. Leonard had his faults, and he had his strengths. One of his strengths had always been, and would always be, making sure Penny was happy. She nodded as a couple of tears streamed down her face. "I am, Leonard. I'm happy. But nothing would make me happier than having you in my life, too. You are the greatest friend I've ever had. Please know that I will always love you. But I will understand if it's too much to ask."

Instead of answering her right away, Leonard turned to face Sheldon again. "This hurts me, Sheldon. This was not okay."

"You know me to be a man of pride, Leonard," Sheldon began. For a minute Penny thought he was going to coast right past an apology and she frowned. But then the softness of Sheldon's face shocked her. "But I will not stand here in front of you and insist that what I've done is right. I have betrayed our friendship, your trust. No violation of the Roommate Agreement or social convention will have to attest to that. I've come to this realization on my own. So I beg of you, for Penny's sake as well as my own, to forgive us. And I will spend as long as it takes to earn back any fragment of trust you could muster and show you that your friendship truly means a great deal to me, even though I may not deserve it."

By now, the patrons in the restaurant had stopped eating and turned to face the emotional confrontation in the center of the dining room, not just Howard, Bernadette and Raj. Penny couldn't care less; Sheldon's emotional plea to Leonard sent her over the edge, and her shoulders began to shake as she attempted to suppress her cries. She watched as Leonard turned around and looked at Junior, as if asking for help or for what he should do next. Then he looked back to Sheldon. Penny could see the shimmer in his eyes as well as emotion threatened to overcome him, too. "I can't guarantee things will ever be the same. And I have so many questions. I definitely don't give either of you my blessing." He cleared his throat and looked down. "But you both are my best friends, too. That's what makes it hurt so bad." He raised his head to look around Sheldon's shoulder at the table where his three other friends sat down. "I'm guessing they all know?"

"That is correct," Sheldon nodded.

"To be clear," Penny suddenly said, causing Leonard to look at her. "Nobody was happy about this. Howard is still fighting it tooth and nail. But everyone remains in agreement about one thing. We don't want to lose you, Leonard. Please."

They were all silent for a moment, Junior looking over the three of them with watchful eyes as Leonard mulled over her last statement. Finally, he sighed then walked past the couple. He took the empty seat at the head of the table and smiled at his friends as they expressed their happiness at finally seeing him again. It didn't reach his eyes, and it didn't come easy, but he smiled. And Penny would forever be grateful to see that look on his face.

Sheldon and Junior walked slowly to the table, where the former took his seat next to Raj, and the latter grabbed a chair from an empty table, placing it on the opposite end of Leonard. Penny wiped her tears with the back of her wrist, took a deep breath, and strolled over. She pulled out her notepad and pen and looked down at her dear friend. "What can I get you to eat, Leonard?" His eyes were glistening when he looked up at her and said nothing. Tears continued to fall down her face as she picked her hand up to wipe them again, when Leonard suddenly brought his hand up too and caught her fingers in his, squeezing them gently before placing a tender kiss on her knuckles.

Then he let her go.

"I've been living off of fish for way too long. I need a steak."

"Make that two," Junior chimed in before winking at Penny.

* * *

A few hours later, Leonard went out with Raj and Howard for a few 'Welcome Home' drinks and probably a little bit of Sheldon and Penny bashing, Penny had stayed behind to finish her shift, and Sheldon and Junior found themselves walking home together. The rain had finally cleared, but the sky was still smoggy, the stars hidden from view.

"The sky here in L.A. is just sad," Junior commented. He walked alongside his brother and jammed his hands in his pockets. "Times like this I miss Texas."

"I miss certain elements of home," Sheldon chimed in. "I miss Meemaw. And barbeque. And having land."

"You ever think you'll move home?"

"I misspoke," Sheldon said suddenly, turning to look at his brother. "I meant to say I miss certain elements of the place where I grew up. Home is where Penny is. So to answer your question: I'm already home." They smiled at each other, mirroring the other's lopsided grin. "Junior?"

"Hmm?

"What did you tell Leonard?"

Junior sighed. "I told him about the hell I've put you through since you were seventeen years-old. And that the only hope you had from pulling out of this situation alive was Penny. He didn't take it well at first. It doesn't take much to get his water working." He mimed crying, wiping his eyes with his fist. Sheldon chuckled. "He plans on moving out and is going to start apartment hunting tomorrow. He cares about you both, though. I think he'll come around eventually."

"What makes you so certain?" Sheldon asked, genuinely interested.

"You're worth it, Sheldon," he said simply, as if it were a scientific fact. The brothers stopped walking and Junior looked him in the eye. "You're worth coming around for."

And so they continued walking until they got home, said goodnight, and retired into their respective apartments.

When Penny got home, she was surprised to see that Sheldon had stayed up well past his bed time to wait for her.

He was determined to be awake to feel her snuggle up to him that night.

* * *

_The End._


End file.
